Consolation Prizes
(20 poems, 1 play and 1 short story)
by darrell epp
146 pages, ISBN 0-9688900-0-8

        darrell epp's poetry, plays, and stories have been praised for their raw power and honesty. He has a fine ear for rhythms, idiom and dialogue, and a descriptive skill for writing sharply observed details with precision and economy. Consolation Prizes is the first book length compilation of his writings. "I think the biggest influence on my art may be geography," epp says. "Once I moved to my current address, I finally managed to find my own voice, and ideas would flood my head almost every time I walked around the block. Putting this book together was a lot of fun. It was gratifying to see hard work rewarded by an increased knowledge of both my artistic process and myself. Also, people are telling me they enjoyed reading it, so I'm a pretty happy guy, these days."

A sample poem from the book is excerpted below:

No Sleep

i guess she was pretty enough
but she could never sleep
more than a few hours
every couple of days
she suffered terribly
from her insomnia
and from her boredom
so she'd sit
cross-legged
on my floor
drinking too fast
insulting me
asking me if
i wanted to fight
tunelessly screaming
rock music lyrics
or just screaming
all night long

weirdly enough,
something about
those nights
was relaxing
and comforting
for me

at least she was making some noise
letting me and the world know
that she was alive, no doubt about it
and the straight normal taxpaying folks
who never ever made any noise, there
was something about the way they walked
that reminded me of the way zombies
walked when i saw them walking in zombie
movies, and that made me feel uncomfortable

i'd like to know
how she's doing
and i know
there's no way
for me to
find out

i suppose i miss her
more than i should
but on the plus side
i sleep like a baby.

copyright 2001 darrell epp

Consolation Prizes can be ordered directly from the publisher by mailing a cheque or money order for $15.00 can. (postpaid) to:

darrell epp/two-handed man,
4-526 King Street East,
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada L8N 1E2