I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author and Poet Barrie Cole shares the power of language in this collection of poetry titled “Lacquer is a Thrilling Word.”

The Synopsis

Barrie Cole’s Lacquer is a Thrilling Word, invites readers to immerse themselves in the sublimity of language through unconventional forms and inventive metaphors. In this full-length collection of poems and short prose, Cole’s signature word play and strange takes can be found in to-do lists, fortune cookie fortunes, run-on sentences, and more. Each poem somersaults toward the places where the beauty and absurdity in living are revealed in equal parts.

Poet Alison Luterman says, “to enter the pages of Lacquer is a Thrilling Word is to walk inside the wild and wonderful, kaleidoscopically shape-shifting mind of Barrie Cole, appreciating an odd truth bomb here, a moment of delight or humor there, and now and again a totally unexpected light ray of divine wisdom shooting through a dusty stained-glass window that was somehow exported from an ancient Gothic cathedral to a grocery store in downtown Chicago…”

Lacquer is a Thrilling Word is the newest addition to longtime Chicago resident Barrie Cole’s catalog which includes more than a dozen plays like Fruit Tree Backpack, Reality is an Activity, and Elevator Tours as well as multiple hybrid works, essays, short stories and monologues. Her work has received multiple Critic’s Choice Selections and other critical praise. A regular in Chicago’s Storefront theater scene, her plays have been produced by Theater Oobleck, Prop Theater, Curious Theater Branch, Labyrinth Arts Collective and others. She has appeared in many live reading shows as well including f Miss Spoken, Write Club, Story Sessions, Poetry at the Green, You’re Being Ridiculous and many others. She lives in Chicago near Lake Michigan with her partner and her two grown children live nearby.,

THE REVIEW

This is a compelling, inspired collection of poetry and prose. The variety in the author’s writing and the artistic vision readers can glean from these poems drive this collection forward at a steady pace. The imagery each poem and prose piece brings to life on the page keeps readers invested and engaged in the Author’s work.

The driving force of many of these poems was the unique exploration of language and its impact on everyday life. These poems can range from wise words from a fortune cookie to a simple to-do list and much more profound works, such as a truly powerful poem in this reader’s opinion, titled “The Breakup”, in which the Author painstakingly narrates the strained final chapter of a relationship. Language becomes a driving force for these poems and highlights the importance language plays in people’s lives.

THE VERDICT

Compelling, engaging, and artfully created, Author Barrie Cole’s “Lacquer is a Thrilling Word” is a must-read collection of poetry and prose. For such a short read, the author does a fantastic job of creating works of poetry that hit home for many readers and touch upon how truly important our words are and how what we say can impact not only our lives but other people’s lives as well. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Barrie Cole is a critically acclaimed Chicago-based writer who has written more than 15 plays including Reality is an Activity, Capacity, Meaning is Tricky, Reverse Gossip, Elevator Tours and Fruit Tree Backpack along with numerous poems, essays, monologues and hybrid works. Lacquer is a Thrilling Word is her first book.