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This collection features poems written over the past fifteen years, covering such themes as bureaucratic injustice, the indulgence of heartbreak, the tragedies of ageing, the perils of giving power and fame to the wrong people, and the terrifying possibility that we might all be unwitting test subjects for our cats' psychology experiments.
By turns caustic, irreverent, tragic, philosophical, anarchic and occasionally even sentimental, this first collection features twenty-five poems from an emerging talent, including the popular 'Whimper', a poem for our times in response to Allen Ginsberg's seminal 'Howl'.
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"Poetry with purpose would describe this collection by Nico Reznick. Whether describing dichotomy or poetry about goldfish, there is always fluidity and feeling. Ideas are concisely and precisely presented. Nico Reznick not only understands language but is also amazingly adept at analysing a situation and re-creating it in raw form. This then transcends to life as you read. Probably the best 99p I've ever spent, definitely the best 99p I've spent on poetry. Over Glassy Horizons: Poetry From The Margins is a fabulous debut by a poet with a bright future."
"I read this poetry book in one sitting last night. Then I read it again this morning. It’s that good. Over Glassy Horizons contains wonderfully sentimental poems, some good old bureaucratic poking, modern day boredoms and injustices, wry humour, self-reflection, anarchism and politics. I resonated so much with most every poem that it made me feel like I’d made a friend. It felt like if my own poetry book could marry another poetry book, it would want this one. I loved ‘Your Application Has Not Been Successful At This Time’, ‘You and Cigarettes’ was beautifully told, and ‘Whimper’ - the author’s response to Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ was right on the nose. ‘The Patron Saint of Charlatans and Shysters’ demanded to be read again once I found out who it was about, and it was even more seething and delightful second time round, ‘Generation Exit Wound’ sums up the post-Coupland modern world feeling really well, and travel odes like ‘Local Colo(u)r’ almost read like short stories. I think my favourite was the Bukowski-esque ‘It's An Employer's Market, I Guess...’ which begins: “Jobs I’m not qualified for/Jobs I wouldn’t want in the first place/Jobs that wouldn’t even exist if the world was sane and civilised/Jobs selling jobs/Jobs telling lies/Jobs selling people things they don’t need and can’t afford/Jobs selling people their own future bankruptcy.” Damn, I felt like I could have written that poem myself. Another favourite has to be ‘The System Works’, with starts: “I dreamed about you again last night. I dreamed I strangled you with your own red tape. Your bluing lips spewed technicalities. You bled protocol.” There’s a touch of Patrick Jones’s ‘Guerrilla Tapestry’ in there. These are poems that you’ll want to recite and share. There’s a combined softness and anger in this collection that perfectly go hand in hand. Damn, I might read it a third time now…"
"Such an incredible talent. Sometimes raw, sometimes tender. I was totally drawn in by this book."
"What a shellshock of a collection. There is a hair-trigger quality to these words, that they seethe with restraint clear and refined, but wait for the weight to decide if and how they should go off. Paramount is the reconfiguration of tried and tested subject matter, familiar as a result of being old as time and by extension what moves us ultimately and fundamentally. Here Reznick casts a steady eye over themes that will persist, and does all the commentator can: make them immediate and resonant. Most apparent is the fierce and unbridled calmness of the voice, one that elicits trust from the get-go. Reznick tackles a wealth of areas that delve directly to the marrow and unafraid addresses what possesses our heads when we want to face our truths. There is a precise nature to the placing and rhythmic quality of these poems that is startling, and a very rich intelligence is behind them. Needless to say I was impressed by this collection, by the depth in its directness and the bare ambition."
"Loved this collection of poetry. The modern elements are easily recognisable and the subject matter varied. My favourite, The Patron Saint of Charlatans and Shysters but I love the Cat one, heck I love them all.
The author is very talented and her work excellent."
"As real as it gets. Everything is stripped away right down to the marrow of real emotion. Adagio unplayed in D Minor is a personal favorite displaying the tenderness and the depth of empathy and understanding of life possessed by the writer. She's very easily become one of my favorite poets. I highly recommend."
"If there were a collective term for poems, a "delight" would best describe this author's writings. I loved them all, some touching, some moving, some unexpectedly humorous and every one of them warmly and beautifully written. The Author's exquisite use of language and diverse subject matter creates a book deserving of the highest possible accolade, and her recognition as a true artist."
"I've been a Nico Reznick fan for about a year now and was delighted to see her collections in print. I've called her writing Britain's best kept secret to friends previously. However, I'm not sure how much longer that will be the case. It's wonderful to see her fan base growing through word of mouth. As for the writing itself, austerity, Piers Morgan, the wasteland that is modern employment options and the thought process of felines are observed, picked apart and dissected with pithy guile and rabid venom in equal measures. Indie literature can sometimes be a swamp of poorly constructed ideas and unedited half baked agendas. It is so refreshing to see a writer of this talent rising head and shoulders above the usual slew and offering something of substance. Highly recomended!"
"These poems by this brilliant young writer manage to be incisive, mordantly witty, gritty and yet lyrical at the same time. The quality of her poetic voice is relentlessly consistent. Her subject matter is all over the place and yet feels unified. Her eye for detail is razor sharp, her images vivid, her insights probing. My personal favorite is, "It's an employer's Market, I Guess..." Her sense of humor elevates these poems from just 30-something darkness to ageless quality. Quite a feat. Please buy, read and support."
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