That Shakespeherian Rag

Edmund Conti's book of poems is full of memories and meditations, jokes and puns, and threaded through with Shakespearean and other literary references. Its idiosyncratic title suggests all this, repeating Eliot's comment on "that Shakespeherian rag / It's so elegant / So intelligent." Conti divides the book into 11 sections, starting with memories of childhood and youth, and then weaving through reading and writing, books and poetry, his neighbors and family (and their views of his verse), into a closer and closer look at mortality: the last four pieces having respectively four lines, two lines, one line, and nothing. Engaging, amusing and thought-provoking.

-Robin Helweg-Larsen

I have been familiar with Ed Conti's work for many years so when I see his name, I know something good will follow. This book lives up to my expectations and delivers insight, wit, irony, perfectly rhymed poems and spot on prose. It's like a friendly handshake and a little peek into the world of Edmund Conti. I'm pleased to say that excerpts will linger in my long-term memory bank.

-Pat D'Amico

Reading Ed Conti's That Shakespeherian Rag reminds me of watching Luis Tiant pitch for the Red Sox in the '70s. By the time he reached Boston, El Tiante had turned his standard four pitch repertoire into what seemed like twenty different offerings by changing speeds and arm angles.

An El Tiante of form and wordplay, Conti's book is a showcase for his mastery of everything from the sonnet and sestina to haiku, light verse, free verse and even a concrete poem, all with a wit that never fails to delight.

From childhood remembrances to social commentary to just having fun with words, O O O O mixes and matches forms enough to keep Conti's readers on their toes and waiting for his next tantalizing verbal changeup or curve.

-Tony Gruenewald