Newspaper Reading

By JC Crumpton and Venessa Cerasale

JC Crumpton is a new voice in poetry. Nowhere is this more on display than here in this collection of verse. Told in four sections, these writings hit fast and hard, taking the reader to the shadowed recesses that fester, only to bring out the light. Crumpton's words seem melancholic at first, but closer inspection reveals the depths he searches

• Language: English
• Publisher: CARTER VAYE PRODUCTIONS, LLC
• Release date: Aug 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798985384123

JC Crumpton

JC Crumpton was born in Southern California and grew up in San Diego, Chicago, Iceland, Germany, and Arkansas. He lives in Northwest Arkansas with his wife, his cat, and her dog.

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Newspaper Reading

Poetry collection

JC CRUMPTON

ALSO BY JC CRUMPTON

Silence in the Garden

Cardboard Heroes

In the Midst of Chaos

Blood in the Light

FORTHCOMING

Slipping the Cradle

Tales of my Father

Newspaper Reading

poetry collection

JC Crumpton

2023 Carter Vaye Productions Trade Paperback Edition

Copyright © 2023 by JC Crumpton

All rights reserved.

ISBN 979-8-985-3841-1-6

eBook ISBN 979-8-985-3841-2-3

Printed in the United States of America

for my teachers and mentors, both formal and those that never knew who they were but who taught me nonetheless.

Praise for Newspaper Reading

JC Crumpton’s writing seems simplistic, yet its complexity reveals itself in layers of meaning. His ability to transcend makes this collection both universally appealing and emotively valuable. His words become the dance and we the dancers find rhythm and cadence in each poem. Despite the tragic echoes of despair, hope is the steadfast thread that I am left holding in the end…I felt like I knew these speakers and characters because I do. They are me and they are those I know at some point before or now.

—Shannon Rucci Vance, ENG121 and LIT115 teacher,

Denver, Colorado

This selection of poetry will take you on an enthralling journey of nostalgia, contemplation, and reflection, that will in turn evoke feelings and emotions that will compel you to want to dive deeper…JC has the unique ability to create a myriad of layers within his writing – I have read many of these over and over, finding new and hidden treasures each time. Not to be missed!

—Louise Thomas, NHS, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Loss, Anger, Memory, Journeys are the categories of this collection of poems. It’s like four boxes placed before you. It is not surprising if your hand trembles as you choose. JC goes to those places, the places you might prefer to avoid, the bare bones real stuff, ashes, and darkness; however, he never takes us to resolutions we expect. Holding our breath we follow and find tenderness enough to keep reading.

—Crow Johnson Evans, songwriter, musician, author, artist,

Northwest Arkansas

Carter Vaye Productions, LLC

Contents

LOSS 15

Time to Save the World 16

Out on the North Way 17

The Last Parade 19

The Way of Dying 21

Cobblestones 22

Glories and Awards and Parades 23

Ashes and Soot 24

The Scar 25

My Little Whore 26

An October after Midnight 31

Broken 32

Only the Clock Ticks on 34

Dear John 36

Left and Right 37

Days in the Time of Corona 38

An Envelope Addressed to Me 39

ANGER 41

Newspaper Reading 42

November 2012 44

Muted 45

Fire Sale 46

Blue 47

Something I Could Blame 49

Contrasting Night & Day 50

The Dynamic of the Vacuum 52

The Ghosts in the Laundry 53

No One Heard Me Scream Today 55

Clowns on Parade & Fluffy Things 56

Anger in Fairytale Land 57

MEMORY 59

Eating Soup at a Coffee Shop 60

Lessons Learned Skipping School 61

Theo’s 62

The Box 64

A Weekend Drink 66

A Hanging 67

Saturday Night Special 68

Walking Among the Ruins 70

Trust 72

Falling from the Sky 73

Clock 75

Shattered 78

I Lost a Year 79

An Age of Wonder Lost 80

Accumulated Stench 82

Black Coals and Gray Dust 83

JOURNEYS 85

Mr. Finley Went to the Fair 86

A Long Release 88

A Task I Did Not Want 90

Broken and Scattered and Strewn 92

Dystopian Strawberries 93

To and Fro 94

Traveling Diet of Instances 95

A Beautiful Life 97

Playing Chess in Bryant Park 99

Listening to Voices 101

Travel Lodge in Chicago 103

How Long I Suffered to Rid the Pain 105

Notes on Eating 107

Couch Magic 109

The Gurney 111 Acknowledgements 114

LOSS

Time to Save the World

I went to leave but other cars had blocked me

so I went back