Instructions for Alchemy!

Instructions for Alchemy. Ingredients of Ether.
by David “Judah 1” Oliver
Book review by: Ccep J. Dew, West Coast Editor


“If poetry were my religion, your book would be my Bible…”

There is truly no other way to describe how I feel about this book. Having met the author and seen him perform his poetry in person a few months prior to the book’s release, I had an idea of what to eXpect: poems, haiku, personal reflections, and religion. As soon as I pulled the book from the mail, I knew I had underestimated the author and, soon after, realized I had underestimated myself, as well.

Instructions for Alchemy. Ingredients of Ether. is not your typical book of poetry, so I cannot give a typical review. In fact, I think simply calling it a 134-page, 6 chapters, nearly 8 ½ by 11-sized “book of poetry” or “collection of writings” is an insult. One can flip through the pages to see that time, research, and thought went into crafting this completed work. One can also conclude some things about the author if one looks closely at some details:

--there is a firm order to the disorder upon the pages…
--it is not your typically-sized chapbook or poetic collection…
--it has an in-dept introduction by an Associate Vice President of a university…
--“Alchemy” and “Ether” are defined, analyzed, and given new meaning at the start of the book…
--the Table of Contents is “incomplete” and without page numbers, but there is one…
--there are bonus writings, haikus, and “Dear Sanity” letters “scattered” throughout the pages…

Haiku for you:
You are but a Breath
And a Word of God; how I
Love when He speaks you.

To say that David Oliver breathes life and knowledge into his writings would be an immense understatement. The author appears to be one who doesn’t accept the confines of what is typical of a poetic collection, so it is no wonder that each piece of writing, itself, should not eXhibit the same rebellion. From love and self-awareness to religion and society, the author tackles each subject with a breathtaking consciousness that is backed up with historical references where appropriate.

To view the entire review, click the link below:
http://www.etmmagazine.info/freeyourmind/2010/articles/02/2010_02_instructions.html