Jason Goodman

Nervous Reader: Second Edition Jason Goodman 2nd edition

NERVOUS READER is the SECOND EDITION of a book of poetry by Jason Goodman. The first was published in 1992 and consisted of mainly award-winning poems. In 1972, Jason was named "Poet Laureate for the State of Florida" based on poems from NERVOUS READER. In the late 1960's and 1970's, Jason read his poetry internationally, from the New York Poetry Society in Manhattan to a small back-alley coffehouse in Melbourne, Australia. He was one of the last "beat" poets, reading with bongos, flutes and a cello on one occasion. Through these readings, Jason met many interesting colleagues. He read by invitation with Allen Ginsberg at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Also, in the early 70's, he read with Archibald MacLeish at King's College in Wilkes-Barre. The poetry encased in NERVOUS READER makes social commentary on issues that are as relevant today as they were when Jason was reading these works. Consider this volume of poetry to be 116 pages of mirrors, each reflecting the viewer's image or reaction to a particular landscape, painted with words. NERVOUS READER was never meant to be entertaining; it was designed to shout. It was written to scream in your face: "There is a very big problem in our world and no one is going to fix it." Jason has included a few of his works from Vietnam; most of these were reserved for his first book, SIMPLE REFLECTION on a frozen surface. It was a tribute to his comrades in arms that did not come home from Vietnam. Alchemy Studio, LLc has completely redesigned this SECOND EDITION of NERVOUS READER; it has new covers, photos, fonts and overall design. Also, this edition has a Library of Congress Control Number, new ISBN, UPC and copyright. What has not changed, mainly because it did not have to, are the contents. Each poem is as fresh today as the day it was conceived on any scrap of paper within reach. As you read these, think of "Howl" and "City Lights," smokey, back rooms with an old chrome mic and a stool, black turtlenecks and berets, finger snapping, words like "groove" and "hip" with the man and his herb in the corner, and real coffee that was there all day, only one flavor, bad! Then you may have a chance of understanding where NERVOUS READER found its parents; you may even meet them!