Every now and again I discover a collection of poetry that moves and teaches me in unexpected ways. Kevin Kopka’s debut collection Count Four is a wild ride! At first the reader is hit with the elegance of narrative weaved through these poems, and then by the surprisingly intimate look at life. With precision and lyricism, the sound of these poems is as striking as it is graceful and smart. “I am caught, zip-tied / and foot stuffed / into the cubby-holed / backseat of an idling / Crow Vic.” Count Four is a raw experience in poetics that should not be missed. You can purchase Count Four from the University of Tampa Press, at Barnes and Nobles, or Amazon.com.
You can also purchase Kopka’s critical text Asking a Shadow to Dance: An Introduction to the Practice of Poetry from Great River Learning Press.
Keith Kopka’s Bio:
Keith Kopka is a former touring punk musician whose poetry and criticism have appeared in Best New Poets, Mid-American Review, New Ohio Review, Tampa Review, and the International Journal of the Book. He is also the author of the critical text Asking a Shadow to Dance: An Introduction to the Practice of Poetry. Kopka is winner of the Tampa Review Prize for Poetry and a professor at Holy Family University in Philadelphia.