Black Book of Poems Paperback – May 21, 2017

Armenian born author Vincent Hunanyan earned his degree in creative writing from UCLA. He now lives and writes in Stockholm.It is refreshing when a new poet offers an explanatory note about his art before the poems begin - from his stance we are more tied to his mission: ‘I believe that good poetry resonates with people on a metaphysical level; you can read a poem without quite being able to put into words why you enjoyed it. It could have been the shivers that ran down your spine or the elevating of your heartbeat. Or, it made you smile, or even cry; made you feel something. A key component of good poetry is honesty; much of the poetry in the world doesn’t speak to people because it is forced and pretentious. If what you write is true and honest, and you put some actual effort into it, I believe people will respond to it. I write only that which I know, that which I can feel and try to transcend to the reader through a few lines. Nothing else concerns me. I think that most people don’t read or appreciate poetry because they have been exposed to too much poor poetry, and been told by their professors to interpret them in a certain way, like there is a science to interpreting a poem. There isn’t; poetry, just like any other piece of artistic creation, is subjective. You cannot ruin someone's interpretation of a poem by explaining it. But if the poem doesn't speak for itself, ultimately, it is a failure.’A few examples of this impressive new poet follow: Romeo’s ElegyTo broken hearts, to broken dreamsTo me and you, to you and meTo all the friends and all the foes,To those who love and those who don'tTo those who have and those withoutTo parent's scorn, deprived of doubtTo those who give, to those who saveTo those afraid, and all the braveTo all the seconds, unforgivingTo the departed and all the livingTo those who dare, to those who careTo those in bliss and in despairTo all the smiles and all the laughs,To all we love, on love's behalfTo all the pain and single cryTo happiness and every high!City NightsIn solitude in bed I lieAnd all the while the sirens cryA homeless bastard passes byThe smell of urine rises highAnd hides away, above the skyForsaken dogs bark in the parkFireworks in distance sparkAnd I wake up, and still it’s dark.Sensitive, probing and holding thoughts that speak to each of us in our own needs, Vincent has succeeded in his first publication that his is a voice worthy of our following. Grady Harp, September 17

The Black Book of Poems was a beautiful book of poems. I loved the ebb and flow of each poem. I was throughly entertained and touched by the poems. I enjoyed the rhyme scheme and I believe Hunanyan used them perfectly. It wasn't overwhelming and it didn't take away from the impact of the words and message. My favorite poem is The Stage. I love how he combined all the historical figures and their stories together. It was fascinating to read. I also loved that this collection of poems differ from most modern day poetry collections. His use of rhyme scheme and sonnet-like poetic style was refreshing to read. It encouraged me to step outside the box as a writer and try different genres of poetry. I'd recommended this book of poem to anyone who loves poetry.

As a person who doesn't usually read poems, I found this poetry book quite engaging and thoughtfully conceived. The use of the words is brilliant. I love that each poem expresses the poet’s emotions. What I also love about the poems that were written here is the way it expresses reality—the good and the bad.I sensed the poet’s messages behind these poems and if I am not mistaken, they are also taken from personal experiences, opinions, and perceptions. For instance, I found the poem “Up in The Air” really deep and somehow it has its own personal touch. The poem “Yesterday” also speaks personally and I love it.I’m sure that fans of poetry will devour this book like chocolates and candy because the way it was written was creative. I’m not a poet and I don’t even know how to create a beautiful poem but reading these poetry collections made me want to try it. Who knows I’ll be able to come up with beautifully written poems like these?

After recently getting into poetry, I came across this book randomly and fell in love. It's a short book but it isn't to be read in a half hour or read in a day. It's meant to be savored and re read over and over again. You can feel the authors emotions come right out of the words you read and sometimes, I felt a little bit of myself in them too. That's exactly what poetry is. "I believe that good poetry resonates with people on a metaphysical level; you can read a poem without quite being able to put into words why you enjoyed it. It could have been the shivers that ran down your spine or the elevating of your heartbeat. Or it made you smile, or even cry; made you feel something." This book really was a good work of art and I'm so glad I ran into it.

Vincent Hunanyan’s poetry is not all flowery and sweet. It captures the essence of the poet’s thoughts and feelings and are obviously borne out of the poet’s own experiences. Interestingly, the poems are quite simple in the use of words, and the words are beautiful, with intense and powerful meanings. The style is both classical and modern.The subject matter is focused on life’s mundane but nonetheless important happenings such as love, death and war. Some of the poems such as Ode to a best Friend which is dedicated to the poet’s mother, touched me deeply. Mom Keeps on Crying is also a powerful poem and will resonate with most lovers of poetry. As a reviewer, poet and lover of poems, I enjoyed some of the poems and they spoke to me while others I did not quite get, but repeated reading may reveal their mysteries – that is the nature of poetry.These poems cannot be read all at once, but must be savored one by one and sometimes over a couple of days for the impact to be fully felt. To truly appreciate these poems calls for more than one reading. All of the poems may not appeal to everyone, but that is the nature of the written word.While the book is titled, Black Book of Poems, there were also two short stories included. The story, Close Cover Before Striking was well written and emotional. I felt Melvin’s pain and in a few words, his life story unfolded in great detail. In fact, the best parts of the book were the short stories. They truly reveal Hunanyan’s talent as a writer.

A book really worth reading! His poetry is great and touches the soul and makes you think. Definitely recommend.

Eu estava procurando poesias pra ler, acabei encontrando vários livros em inglês e baixei este e me surpreendi, adorei cada um dos poemas e principalmente as rimas, fazia tempo que não lia poemas que eram tão sonoros (faz sentido isso?), li todos os poemas em voz alta pra sentir isso.

Framsidan såg bra ut så jag chansade. Blev inte alls besviken :)

Lately, I've been finding myself enjoying poetry more than before. This one was a good one and as the author states at the beginning, only we can explain or find our own meaning in poetry.

If you're looking for a book with great, simple poetry about different topics, here it is! The author has a deft pen and is able to say a lot with a few powerful words.