Here, Bullet
by Brian Turner
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Book Summary Information
Author: Brian TurnerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-11-01
ISBN: 1882295552
Number of pages: 80
Publisher: Alice James Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9781882295555
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Here, Bullet
Book Review: Beautiful poetry admist war
Summary: 5 Stars
Iraqi-war veteran Brian Turner penned a collection of his poetry in Here, Bullet, which he says all but one poem was written overseas. The result is a well-thought out and well-written firsthand account of the travesties of war. Turner manages to see and record the poetry in even the most devastating of circumstances, with such grace and poignancy. It seems almost effortless, as Turner even admitted as such. "Here, Bullet," the title poem, Turner says, "I sat down and wrote it probably within five minutes."
Turner incorporated many interesting elements into Bullet. The collection is divided into four parts, eluded by a telling quote. In fact, there are numerous quotes throughout, most accompanying/introducing a poem, including some from the Qur'an and some from famous figures such as Ernest Hemmingway. His choice to include Arabic words (and the selections from the Qur'an) could be considered controversial, but Turner is quick to defend his choices said that it felt right to do so. The Islamic language and cultural was indeed a key component, as the poems not only tell the stories of the soldiers, but also of the people living in the war-torn country. In "Two Stories Down," young Iraqi Hasan is dying and whispers, "Shukran, sadiq, shukran," which is Arabic for "Thank you, friend, thank you." This was a great example of how Turner incorporated the language into the piece and how it gave the poem a realness and painful authenticity.
In fact, Turner's respect and admiration for those people, which he acknowledged, is so clear that he seems compelled to share it. By his working with the various translators, and integrating it into the collection, Turner is continuingly trying to educate the reader and encourages further exploration by including a "Notes" section in the back to explain the various references. I thought that was a nice touch, rather than using foreign words and not explaining them, which I feel alienates readers.
The poem that Turner seemed particularly proud of was 2,000 lbs., a poem capturing the surrounding experience of what happened when a bomb went off in Ashur Square, Mosul. From the suicide bomber, to a US Sergeant, to a local old woman cradling her grandson, each stanza seems to paint a harrowing picture of the tragedy that touched it. Turner said in the poem he tried to create a feeling like a spanning view of a movie camera to capture those moments and give life to the scene. He does it well, giving all the characters a moment of expression, and the reader can feel as if they had just witnessed it.
Perhaps what I liked best about Turner, aside from his fantastic writing, was how unassuming he was. Turner has a humble demeanor and sense of humor, despite all that he has seen and done. Whether he was cracking jokes, ("Let's see, I know I have a sex poem in here,") or honoring his fallen comrades, he always remains true to himself. Like how he said he is against the war at the risk of seeming unpatriotic, or that he honestly guessed how much the bomb weighed (found out later that it wasn't 2,000 lbs), or how he dealt with death, his honesty of spirit was always the most powerful to me. And perhaps that's the best a poet can hope for.
Summary of Here, Bullet
Adding his voice to the current debate about the US occupation of Iraq, in poems written in the tradition of such poets as Wilfred Owen, Yusef Komunyakaa (Dien Cai Dau), Bruce Weigl (Song of Napalm) and Alice James? own Doug Anderson (The Moon Reflected Fire), Iraqi war veteran Brian Turner writes power-fully affecting poetry of witness, exceptional for its beauty, honesty, and skill. Based on Turner?s yearlong tour in Iraq as an infantry team leader, the poems offer gracefully rendered, unflinching description but, remarkably, leave the reader to draw conclusions or moral lessons. Here, Bullet is a must-read for anyone who cares about the war, regardless of political affiliation.
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