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Serial Killer Review One of the distinctive qualities of these murders is their emotional openness: Here is a killer who isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. The starting point for a murder is often something simple and ordinary, and he handles his epiphanies delicately. In the earlier killings, a keen filmic eye observes with precision, eschews both anger and sentimentality, so that the murders have a gentle, quiet power. However, much of what follows is less restrained and turns to darker subject matter. This is a tour de force that displays an extraordinary level of wit and detail. A number of the killings are inspired by Brecht. Some might have preferred footnotes instead of a commentary at the end of the murders.
Aubade The dusk contrives new colours for the garden as the husk on my desk deteriorates, hardens. With luck, they’ll expurgate our pardon. The lilacs arrive too late (we’re all done). You prevaricate, contriving to miss your last bus back to Arden. You thrive on thrills, so you’ll give me a slap, a hard one. If you go for the kill, at least tell my mother I’m gone. These low feelings are caused by the same pills my brother’s on. Could we knock out the ceiling and make our own planetarium? The shock would rout what little feeling we can still summon. ‘So,’ you mock, ‘are doubts all we now have in common?’ Slow rot sets in, as they say, the joists are swollen. You begin. It’s way more scary without our clothes on. I’m cutting the rose that scarred me. It’s hard to tell who’s won. The dusk contrives new colours for the garden.
Guidelines for the Composition of Poetry (Schedule A) NOTE: These guidelines are intended to regulate the composition of poetry in non-educational contexts. If you are writing a poem for the purposes of self-improvement (e.g. in a school, as part of your rehabilitation in a registered state facility), you should consult Schedule B below. This document outlines the key factors you should take into account when composing a poem for private or public consumption (publication or performance). You should remember that the freedom to compose, distribute, publish, perform or otherwise make known your own poetry is a privilege and not a constitutional right (for exclusions, see Appendix A). This includes the composition of poetry in spiral notebooks which are subsequently buried at the bottom of your garden or burned. We strongly advise you, therefore, to follow the guidelines outlined below. 1. Your poem should have a clear theme, ideally indicated in the title (e.g. ‘Love’, ‘The First Day of Summer’, ‘Why I Enjoy Writing Poetry’). Note that you should not attempt to deviate from this stated theme in the poem itself (e.g. a poem entitled ‘Love’ should not include a description of your last nervous breakdown or comments about favourite cheeses). Your poem should use clear language which adequately conveys a positive message, following logically from your theme. For example, you may wish to write a poem called ‘My Fish is Dead’, in which you describe in a straightforward fashion the value of your relationship to said deceased creature: this ought to include a cheerful reminiscence of your time together, followed by details of the fish’s demise and an expression of regret at its passing; you should conclude on a note of hope for the future (e.g. ‘Now I will buy another fish’). The message in this case would be ‘sometimes life is sad, but we carry on.’ For an overview of suitable themes and their related messages, see Appendices B through F. 2.a You may wish to test your theme by reading your poem to a friend with some knowledge of the genre. If s/he responds by nodding slowly and saying ‘hmmm’ (or similar), the theme is likely to be acceptable. If s/he rocks back and forth in a chair whispering, ‘Oh God, Alan/Jenny, why did you have to leave?’ (or similar), this is a bad sign. 2. Use of established forms is encouraged (see Appendix G) and we draw your attention to the fact that a clear and regular rhyme scheme is popular with poetry readers: our research shows that they consider it clever in an admirable way, i.e. not unsettling or patronising. The words you choose are very important. While musicality and a playful use of language can be acceptable, avoid expressions that readers will have to look up in reference works, as this may make them feel stupid or ill-informed. So, for example, ‘ocarina’, ‘bladder-wrack’ and ‘alluvium’ are acceptable words, whereas ‘incunabula’, ‘priapic’ and ‘chiliasm’ are not (see Appendices H through J). Adherence to these guidelines will both promote your own enjoyment of poetry composition and mitigate some of the social harms related to the production and consumption of works of this kind. We draw your attention to Appendix K for a list of penalties associated with noncompliance.