the river runs south/thru barrios and ghettoes and starched neighborhood squaresand everywhere the dogs howlI don’t even trust the sound of my own voice heremy own impermanence haunts me, but this thought alone relieves the pressurefrom the mirror to the gutter, gutter tonguedmy heart speaks to the silence in melet me walk alone/homeas the dead stoplights wave goodnight —from "The River Runs Foul"Having risen to fame during the grunge era in the early 90s, Billy Corgan is among the most respected figures of the alternative rock world—a visionary artist who, over a decade later, still commands a devoted following.Long admired for his evocative songwriting, Corgan here embarks on a deeper exploration of literary terrain as a poet. Full of “the regretful melancholy of his music [and] the rhythmic, angular wordplay of his best Pumpkins lyrics" (Jeff Vrabel,Chicago Sun-Times), the poems in this collection form an imagistic journey through the intensely personal as Corgan throws into sharp relief issues of love, loss, identity, and loyalty. Crafted with a thoughtful and cadenced approach that shares the same allegiance to thunder and quiet found in his music, these writings further solidify Corgan’s place as the voice of a generation.
