Dervish

James Mirarchi
Lulu (2009)
ISBN 9780557084319
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (03/10)


From a one-act play to a short story with a good mix of poetry in between, Mr. Mirarchi has captured the reader’s attention with a diverse cornucopia of poetry and prose. He has scaled the walls of constraint and has written “Dervish” in an out-of-the-box fashion that I have rarely seen such a well-executed style.

In the first few pages the one-act play catches your attention and brings you into the drama of a day in a beauty shop -- life as it happens with raw honesty and all the torment, cruel and vicious remarks that go along with it. The comments are not what one would expect from the fragile female. From there, you are caught up in the whirling winds of “Tornado,” taken into the life of a child in “The Gift” and exposed to the mind of a “Stranger.” “The Baker,” which is written in two chapters, was a thought-provoking drama showing the author’s versatility to write prose as well as poetry.  The drama continues with “Spa,” a tragic tale of a Mother’s love. The little seventy-four-page volume concludes with “Lips,” which is a short story about a very complex personality named “Eric.” “Lips” is sort of an offbeat read with its choppy sentences but interesting story line.

“Dervish” by James Mirarchi was unique and a far cry from the usual collection of poems that one would expect to find. The cover art is very nice and appealing and the book itself is of good quality. It’s a small volume that makes for a quick read and is ideal for someone to enjoy on a plane or waiting for an appointment. I gave it a high rating of a B and because of some off color language; I would definitely place it on the adult shelf.

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