In his most recent collection, composed of over two hundred individual poems, Israeli-born Canadian-raised poet Yacov Mitchenko has produced a thoroughly expansive literary collage that evokes a local feel, while exploring themes that are nothing short of universal. In addressing these themes, Mitchenko makes his subjects blossom. How else could he conduct such a post-modern coup of titling the very first poem in the collection “Poem”? With that piece, what could have been a snarky also-ran instead shines as an example of simplicity and insight that is repeated throughout the collection, as he touches upon facets of the human condition that are as varied as the pieces themselves.
“Uncategorizable” evokes quantum physics’ uncertainty principle in the attempt to determine human identity. A formula for personal dysmorphia is laid out in “The Deceiving Child’. The affirmational sense of “Awe” is about the not-so-subtle interplay between music and memory, while “All There Is” first reminds the reader of the pervasive nihilism of human life, then offers an game-plan to fight against it. Because of such broad contextual awareness, I HAVE BEEN MOVED stands as more than just a collection of lyrical and erudite pieces, but rather as a fully-imagined sculpture of words and images. The “I” of the title deceptively hides the inclusiveness of the world that “I” has created, inviting all who share in the human condition a place to walk along this literary landscape.
So with all these positive elements going for the poetry collection, why would Mitchenko–whether intentionally or not–seem to talk down to his reading audience? In one of the few detriments of the collection, the author spends twenty-eight pages on an introduction that essentially reads like an instruction manual telling his reading audience exactly what they should grok from the poetry. The backstories he tells for some poems come out sounding less like background and more like admonitions of audience methodology, something utterly unnecessary for readers who already tend to think in poetic terms. He even wastes print-space explaining his intentions behind the grouping of the poems, rather than letting the groups themselves maintain their own collective narrative.
The author would do best to trust his readers to be intelligent enough to understand and form their own views of his work. Mitchenko also needs to trust that his own work is well-constructed and well-written enough that readers, especially those willing to tackle such an expansive body of work, will need not be told how to approach it.
With artful wordcraft, erudite composition and an overall cohesion of the collection as an artistic whole, I HAVE BEEN MOVED should most certainly attract the universal reading audience it so deserves.
~Johnny Masiulewicz for IndieReader