Eugene Beck

CLINGING TO GHOSTS by Micheal Drazen Michael Drazen’s plain-spoken writing exudes humanity in a variety of forms– lost, sometimes nearly forgotten loves, accurate, often painful familial interactions ( you’re bound to recognize some of them), the many challenging life stages through which we live, and an abiding, deep love and respect for cinema. This remarkable small collection of poems was written throughout and after his lengthy, successful career in advertising. These poems are as much about failure as success. It was impossible for me not to be deeply touched while reading them. They may not be for everyone, but this collection harbours beautifully expressed universal truths about what it’s like to be alive. This is a book of poems for people who are pretty sure they hate poetry. Eugene Beck, Toronto, Canada 2020