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“Obviously a book meant to read while you’re drinking beer, but Needles’ poetry is redolent of Paris, red wine and camembert bien fait. For me it conjures long conversations in Parisian apartments, over plates of roasted turkey legs, garlic and sweet potato soup…Endless rows of empty wine bottles and endless plans to buy more over steak and eggs in the raw mornings..If you love the real Paris, what’s left of it, not the prepaid touristic packages of the Latin Quarter, but the much lesser known arrondissements to the east, north and south, take a walk with Needles. You won’t be disappointed…”

R.T. Mitchell, author of ‘Tattoing Violet’.

“Applause, applause to new poet on the scene, F.K. Needles for taking poetry off of its pristine pedestal and bringing us all back to earth. Beer Songs for the Lonely is a visceral, sometimes shocking, collection of poems written about everyday moments, moments we don’t usually think of in terms of poetry: “Too much time/to soak my balls/in the bath tub/drinking dark/warm beer.” Needles work is a shining example of the French existentialist aesthetic combined with an American man’s simplicity. “Vacuum Dance” is my favorite section of Beer Songs for the Lonely because of its understated loveliness, somewhat a departure from the rest of the book. A must read!”

Elva Maxine Beach, author of ‘Neurotica’.

Professional Reviews

Lone Star Iconoclast - Monday, April 16, 2007
By W. Leon Smith,
Editor

“A new book of songs/lyrics/poetry by F.K. Needles, published by New Belleville Press, contains interesting commentary in verse form that, in great degree, exposes the underbelly of the world.

Although poetry is generally considered a matter of taste to be liked or disliked by an individual reader, this book paints interesting images and moods that tend to flow farther with each additional reading.

Of the 24 entries, four of which are sub parts of a segment called Vacuum Dance, perhaps the most outstanding are “Her,” “Fast Train,” and, the most impressive of the lot, the poem listed under Vacuum
Dance called “The Market” which is mesmerizing, gritty, and literally a work of art that extends universally beyond the realms of most contemporary poetry. This particular poem is a treasure that deserves a seat in future great works of literature collections.”

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