This Is Fifty-three

This is Fifty-three is Kevin J. OConners seventh collection of poems--and his most ambitious to date.This is not your typical poetry collection or photography book. Instead it is an exploration through words and pictures of living with uncertainty at a time when wed expect most of lifes big questions to have been already answered.This Is Fifty-three breaks many of the unwritten rules governing poetry books from its 8.5 x 8.5 format to its full-color interior with graphics and/or photographs accompanying each poem. To emphasize the personal nature of the work a self-portrait of the poet appears on the front cover.Finally This Is Fifty-three is an exploration of form and craft both in words and visuals: In my poems I have continued to try out different forms and styles in order to stretch myself as a writer. As for the visuals my previous books used images to mark the boundaries between sections; here they are an integral part of the whole whether complementing the text or providing a counterpoint--or stirring things up.The end result for better or for worse is an honest portrayal of me at age fifty-three.--Kevin J. OConner August 2016.