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| Image courtesy of Goodreads |
The typically short, inter-related poems of The Brimstone Journals are titled with the name of the character who is narrating, each character designated by their distinct script. The free verse poems are not particularly lyrical, having a more conversational rhythm and language pattern. Koertge does, however, sprinkle in several strategically placed strong images or metaphors along the way. For example, Tran’s first poem, where he discusses his relationship with his father, ends with a poignant observation, “His dreams are a box I can’t put down.” Otherwise, the most prolific device is the rhetorical question. As the teenage narrators wrestle with their own thoughts and feelings, they express their confusion with many, many questions, like the sex-crazed Rob who asks, “If it isn’t a game, why does everybody/keep score?” As a whole, the poems draw their power from the raw emotion of their teenage narrators and the troubling darkness they face. The poems only provide glimpses of the characters, leaving the reader with vignettes rather than fully-developed characters.
The Brimstone Journals was named an American Library Association (ALA) Quick Pick, and aptly so, for the first poem, narrated by a overweight young man named Lester, describes how he likes to hold his father’s gun while he’s naked, imagining what would happen when the people who bully him saw he had a gun. This shocking start drew me in immediately, and I expect it would have a similar effect on students. Because of the violence and language, this book is most appropriate for high school students. The Brimstone Journals is one of those books librarians and teachers should put into the hands of a reluctant reader who is not so sure they would like poetry, especially if he or she likes darker books and movies. It is a fast and interesting read that could promote some very helpful and meaningful conversations about relationships between teens and the adults in their lives.
Example Poem
"Tran"
Since I have only acquaintances and no
true friends, I come to school in the morning
and let the building tell me things.
In this way I am like the Native Americans
who could taste water, listen to earth, read
sky.
I listen to what is traveling through wires,
dripping from overhead lighting radiating
from computer screens, oozing from outlets
in walls:
who lied who kissed who drank who smoked
who struck wept contaminated bought
Sold doted barely survived.
This passionate residue is called “the buzz.”
What a violent country: “He kissed
me so hard.” “I was so wasted.” “I hate
her so much.” “I love him to death.”
The students even call this well-appointed
and modern high school Brimstone,
a reference to their Bible and to the end
of the world. (28)
Activity
To introduce this poem to teenagers, ask what types of things they might hear if they just stood in the hallways and listened? What noises would the empty building make? What words or phrases would they hear from teachers? from students? Then ask students to consider what types of conclusions an outsider might draw about the school based on the things they could hear. As they listen to the poem read aloud, have students make note of the different things Tran hears in his school. How does their school compare to Trans? As an extention, students could use the different sounds and words they brainstormed earlier to write a poem about their own school.
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