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Ways of Being Dead
David Starkey published his first poem in 1988, and for the past 18 years he has been a fixture of the American small press. While Starkey's poetry has appeared in hundreds of literary journals and a number of limited edition books and chapbooks, this is the first time his major work has been collected in a single volume. Readers acquainted with Starkey's poems will recognize his wry voice, impeccable ear, and wide range of form and subject matter. New readers will find much to admire in the writing of this accomplished yet underappreciated poet. Wonderful language… amazing lines. Starkey is an entertaining and resourceful poet.
REVIEW 12-07-06 Santa Barbara Independent The Poets of Artamo Press (excerpt) by Barry Spacks David Starkey’s volume comes as a welcome and ample gathering from the work of this prolific author, playwright, textbook creator, SBCC teacher and host of Channel 21's Creative Community program. Inventing new forms and narrative structures and speaking in dozens of persona voices, Starkey is full of dark wit and wild surprises, as in the tour de force “Upside Down” where a performer’s shtick is to walk punishing distances on his hands; in the 12-sonnet sequence of “A Short History of Rock and Roll,” which follows music’s travel from Elvis and Robert Johnson’s blues all the way to Nirvana; or in “Professors Who Wish They Had Been Baseball Players,” which ends:
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FROM ARTAMO PRESS