Sonics in Warholia, shortlisted for the 2011 Indie Lit Awards, is an intriguing poetry collection that pushes the boundaries. It straddles the line between prose and poetry and is structured like a series of essays. Chock full of pop culture references, it is a letter from Megan Volpert to Andy Warhol.
I have to be honest and say that Sonics in Warholia wasn’t my cup of tea. At times it felt like Volpert was trying too hard to be edgy, and there was a lot of what seemed to me to be nonsensical rambling. And I’ve actually read novels with more poetic language and imagery. But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t able to appreciate Volpert’s writing. In fact, there were some passages that I thought were brilliant, mostly when the narrator moves away from the chatter about Andy Warhol and reveals more about herself.
I see myself, and therefore am not quite myself. The camera is here somewhere, a sturdy ladder and a bird’s sharp eye patched with electrical tape. A direction to act natural is impossible to obey, everything having an out of control seemingness. (from “Recurring Fear of Flat Champagne,” page 52)
The poem that stood out the most for me was “Dear Diary of a Dead Man’s Telephone Number,” in which the narrator has two of Andy Warhol’s old phone numbers and debates dialing them. What starts off as somewhat amusing soon becomes quite sad. Her brother was killed, and she waits until his birthday to dial his old cell phone.
Two rings brings a simple hello in a south Louisiana twang belonging to a young man just like so many times before that I believe through some kind of phone voodoo I am listening to my Lazarus. (page 36)
I think my enjoyment of these poems was clouded by my lack of knowledge about Andy Warhol, aside from what I learned about him in a college Art History course, and the fact that most of the pop culture references went right over my head. Although I enjoy narrative poetry, I think these prose poems are too heavy on the prose for my tastes.
However, the more I revisit Sonics in Warholia, the more I am able to find passages that grab my attention and speak to me. Maybe it wasn’t the right time for me to read these poems, and I honestly think I just didn’t get what Volpert was trying to accomplish. Even so, Sonics in Warholia is a collection I won’t soon forget, one that underscores the diversity among poets and poetic forms.
Short List - 2011 Indie Lit Awards in Poetry
Hosted by Savvy Verse & Wit
Book 7 for the Fearless Poetry Exploration Challenge
Disclosure: I received a copy of Sonics in Warholia from Sibling Rivalry Press as part of the voting process for the Indie Lit Awards. I am an IndieBound affiliate and an Amazon associate.
© 2012 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Diary of an Eccentric 
I liked “Dear Diary of a Dead Man’s Telephone Number” as well. But I found this was too over the top most of the time. Thanks for the honest review.
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It’s definitely not for everyone, but looking at Goodreads, there were lots of people who liked it.
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yes, I’ve seen that some people liked it alot.
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I think the pop culture references would go over my head too.
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There was a lot of celebrity name-dropping, and I knew who some of them were, but not why they were important to Warhol or the poem.
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I like edgy, as long as it doesn’t cross over into obscene.
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Well, there was one poem about an adult movie that Warhol filmed, but I don’t think the collection was too obscene.
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Serena was sweet and sent me her copy for my oldest son who would probably love it!
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I hope he enjoys it more than I did.
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GOLIATH – Spike Milligan.
They chop down 100 ft trees
To make chairs
I bought one
I am six foot one inch
When I sit in the chair
I’m four ft two
Did they really chop down a 100 ft tree
To make me look shorter?
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Amusing!! Thanks for sharing and taking time to read my poetry posts this month. 🙂
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Too bad you found it to be a bit over the top and heavy. I know nothing about Andy Warhol myself.
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I wonder if I would have understood it had I known more about Warhol?
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[…] by Edward Nudelman 5. Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems by Emma Eden Ramos 6. Sonics in Warholia by Megan Volpert 7. Beyond the Scent of Sorrow by Sweta Srivastava […]
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