Review: undressing in slow motion

Michael Giacon’s debut poetry collection, undressing in slow motion, appeared at the top of the Nielsen bestseller list in the first week of June. This was quite a feat for a first book of poetry from a small publisher. Giacon’s work is a substantial, playful collection of 99 pages, with approximately 85 poems divided between four numbered sections.

Undressing in slow motion implies the removal of clothes, of skin, and a reveal of what is within, accepted whether ugly or beautiful. Giacon has lived a lot of life, negotiating death, love and sexuality, reconciling himself with his Italian-Catholic roots along the way. Sand, surf, trees, and the coast grounds him on this journey, showing up repeatedly in the poetry: ‘I rock to waves that roll right back, mist-anointed in speechless walk over crested sea’ (Nature fx)

In ‘Scenes from a Gay Play’ the author details snapshots of attraction, of activism, of gay pride and how it developed through his life. The image of:

‘Marching down Queen St on a Friday night, eight of us in the rain behind a police car chanting 2 4 6 8 GAY IS TWICE AS GOOD AS STRAIGHT’ (Scenes from a Gay Play)

sticks in one’s mind as brave, heartbreaking, and darkly comedic. Undressing in slow motion is full of these revealing moments. Q & A I have a visual memory and he takes photographs I have a way with words that miscommunicates quite well when he meets loss, he requests an interview I find rhyme in the Q & A offered as a gift he prefers a professional profile to enshrine his integrity he's upset and perplexed as I wallow in apology I offer extinction and trash my enthusiasm to the height of art he takes photographs but I have a visual memory