Dec 7 2019

Poet Republik: J Hope Stein

Ladies and Gentleman,

I’d like to introduce you to the collection, Talking Doll, by J. Hope Stein, published by Dancing Girl Press. What is wrought here in this collection is Genesis and the Big Bang birthing a corporate reality where everything and nothing is co-opted. First published in the 2012 issue of Ping-Pong, “The Invention of the Talking Doll,” is an example of what I am talking about:

 

THE INVENTION OF THE TALKING DOLL

 

& the Inventor inserts tiny phonographs

in our metal chests. & the Inventor

gives us the truth of each muscle of the face

blue eyes & pink cheeks & we ask—

is this love or experiment?

A constant expression

until there’s a vibration in our tin bones.

 

The Inventor gives us frocks of lace

hemmed to our forearms

& calves. Handles our words

with a soft-craft & hammer—A lever

beneath the breast

to permit the escape of sound.

 

“It’s love” he says & chews

the roundness of our blond curls.

Is it love for love or for the sake of experiment,

we should ask, But – Please,

put me in my little bed. –

A doll says what a doll is taught to say.

With the same pink cheeks, the same eyes—

Please. Put me in my little bed.

 

A spiral springing to beginning—My tongue,

it circles for you,

we say, circles

like the head

of an idiot turtle.

 

In the beginning there is “The Inventor’s Last Breath,” inspired by Thomas Alva Edison, but taken inward to that space in our lizard brains where we are all inventors. For full text of this review click here.

For more of J. Hope Stein’s wonderfulness go to poetrycrush.com


Comments

31 Responses to Poet Republik: J Hope Stein
  1. A. Zarate says:

    Louis Pasteur, a chemist, is one of my favorite inventors for his discovery of pasteurization and other beneficial scientific breakthroughs.

    • A Mercado says:

      My favorite inventor is Auguste Melitta Liebscher a German housewife that invented the coffee filter. If she only knew how far her invention has come.

  2. C.Ortiz says:

    Contrary to popular believe, Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb, but rather improved upon the 50-year old idea. This is why he is my all time favorite inventor.

  3. A. Guerrero says:

    Thomas Adams is not the inventor of chewing gum but he did get the idea to add flavor to it and open the world’s first chewing gum factory.

  4. B. Amestoy says:

    My favorite invention has to be the reflector telescope. It has helped us study the stars without the flaws from a refracting telescope.

  5. Jasmine Hernandez says:

    My favorite invention is the light bulb simply because it allows us to have light in the dark.

  6. m. LaCroix says:

    One of my favorite inventions I can think of on the spot would be the camera. It can capture a single moment in time and last forever.

  7. Alondra says:

    The Wright brothers built the first effective airplane. It allows us to go where we desire and arrive in half the time than in a car.

  8. M Rodriguez says:

    Robert Khan and Vin Cerf are my favorite inventors because they invented the internet. I wouldn’t be able to live without the internet.

  9. garcilazo k. says:

    One of my favorite inventors is no other then Steve Jobs for inventing the IPod. As a music fanatic I am constantly listening to music. In fact my iPod had a playlist for everything from studying to to sleeping and all in between. I can’t imagine living a world where one depend on CD’s cassette’s, and records as a primary way of listening to your favorite types of music. If when one of my favorite cd’s (that I do not have on my ITunes library) scratches or breaks I feel as though my whole word ends

  10. L Manriquez says:

    One of my favorite inventors that I admire is Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb in our revolutionary technology in the old days. Thanks to him now days, we use his invention in everyday life such as the internet, cooking and etc.

  11. LRamirez says:

    My favorite invention would have to be lipsticks. It is not something life changing but I love that you can express yourself through different colors. A red wine color could be a night look and for when you feel serious and mysterious rather than a pink look that is just fun.

  12. cassie says:

    Capturing moments in a picture is something amazing that our generation has invented. Like a Gropro, a small camera that captures picture very nicely.

  13. L. Stevens says:

    Spencer Silver invented the Post It note. We use Post Its in the pharmacy I work in to keep us organized and to make lists of reminders. They are so helpful and convenient!

  14. Mdaza says:

    The one and only Thomas Edison. Inventor of the Incandescent Light Bulb, Alkaline Storage Batteries and The Kinetograph. Three of the most used things in this world.

  15. VAbungan says:

    One of my most favorite inventions would be paper. Paper lead way to the reinvention of communication, how we record history and literature.

  16. C Rendon says:

    My favorite invention has to be, the printing press. This changed the way literature would be printed & distributed back in the 15 century.

  17. J G says:

    My favorite inventor is Jennifer Bell Schofield who invented the straightener. In these days most of us used the straightener every day to straighten our hair for every occasion.

  18. B.Beas says:

    The Radio is my favorite invention by Giglielmo Marconi. It inspires my writing and it helps me be more creative when I listen to music.

  19. G. Rico says:

    The main and Expert Thomas Crapper was a sanitary engineer who contributed to the design of the modern day flush toilet. Brother’s Thomas, Edward and Clarence Scott managed to successfully market their toilet paper. From that point on, use of toilet papers became widespread in the entire world. This are the two elements I found to be more helpful.

  20. S. Tetreault says:

    The Hubble Space Telescope is my favorite invention since it allows me to see such amazingly beautiful picture of nebulas and galaxies in our universe.

  21. CHernandez says:

    Nikola Tesla because he was a true genius whose ideas were stolen. An electrical generator that doesn’t consume fuel?! Sounds great to me.

  22. E. Hernandez says:

    My favorite invention would be the magic eraser! Anyone with kids knows exactly what I am talking about this was invented my Mr. Clean.

  23. MCobb says:

    APGAR, VIRGINIA
    Dr. Virginia Apgar The Apgar scale used to determine the physical status of an infant at birth.

  24. Miriam says:

    Mirror mirror on the wall who invented you after all? The mass produced mirrors of today were started by German chemist Justus Von Liebig. I love the angles of reflection for artistic purposes that and they seem otherworldly.

  25. L Ortiz says:

    My favorite invention is the Nintendo. I got into video games when I got my first Nintendo on my fifth birthday. Since then I have been a big fan of video games. To this day, I still play Nintendo made systems to relax on my free time.

  26. L. Rodriguez says:

    My favorite invention would have to be the Automobile; commonly referred to as a car. The car could take you to point a destination you would like to go to. But I like top performance car because they are more fun to drive.

  27. F. Suarez says:

    My favorite invention would have to be the mouse/keyboard. Counter-Strike is a game I enjoy w/ friends, and would be impossible without it.

  28. Maria says:

    #Makeup, scientist don’t know who invented it but Know it was used by Egyptian Dynasty #cleopatra

  29. R.Monroy says:

    The favorite invention of mine is play station and games. It’s fun and time consuming for when I’m bored. Pictures and telescopes to look at near stars, like Hubble is another invention that’s fun.

  30. S. Monteagudo says:

    My favorite invention has to be Christmas lights because no matter how bad I feel, whenever I turn them on I automatically feel better.

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