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Claptrap
Notes from Hollywood
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America’s much-loved film director reveals a side of the screen capital you won’t soon forget in Claptrap: Notes from Hollywood.
In his first collection of poetry, Gyllenhaal lays bare the dark side of the American success story. He hints at the hidden turbulence that marks married love—but he also explores the tenderness of fatherhood. The poems of Claptrap are brave, incisive, and emotionally naked.
With an introduction by Jamie Lee Curtis, Claptrap is a stunning volume and enthralling read.
Stephen Gyllenhaal is an award-winning director and screenwriter whose credits include Paris Trout, Waterland, Homegrown, Losing Isaiah, A Dangerous Woman, and Twin Peaks. His poems have been published in several dozen literary journals. An outspoken liberal, he is also a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post. His wife is the screenwriter, Naomi Foner, and his son, Jake, and daughter, Maggie, are actors.
The author plans a reading tour of New York, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
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| Reel Talk Movie Reviews: | Behind the Glitz
by Betty Jo Tucker
retrieved from
[ http://www.reeltalkreviews.com/browse/viewitem.asp?type=feature&id=257 ]
Movie and television director Stephen Gyllenhaal takes readers on a profoundly humanistic journey in Claptrap: Notes from Hollywood, his first book of poetry. Recently published by Cantarabooks LLC, this impressive offering includes 46 poems that evoke marvelous cinematic images and stir the emotions - two things I always expect good poetry to do for me.
"The origins of my poems are the same origins of my work in films - I'm pulled into a scene in my head - often foggy - and do my best to somehow capture it," Gyllenhaal said in a recent interview conducted by JakeWatch.com.
Gyllenhaal, husband of screenwriter Naomi Foner and father of actors Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, directed the acclaimed films Paris Trout and Losing Isaiah, but "poetry is the foundation of the many facets of his life: husband, father, movie-man, friend, observer of Hollywood," according to Hugh Ogden, Professor Emeritus at Trinity College. In Claptrap's intriguing Foreword, Gyllenhaal's former professor writes, "Few poets have depicted the 'glitz' so well and seen the human condition behind it."
Although actress Jamie Lee Curtis, a published author herself, admits being afraid of poetry, she raves about Claptrap in the book's well-written Introduction. She calls Gyllenhaal's poems complicated and scary (among other more complimentary descriptions, of course), but confesses they captured her imagination and "invite you to want to know more." Cantara Christopher, Gyllenhaal's publisher, says she was drawn to the director's poetry because it is "by turns confessional, mischievous, humble, lustful, tender, furious and profound."
While all of the poems in Claptrap fascinated me because of their stunning imagery and emotional pull, "Camera," "Tender," and "Confession" are my favorites. By referring to the heart as "a Viking at the oar in full battle regalia" in "Tender," Gyllenhaal calls up visions of glorious Saturday movie matinees. And his director-poet eye lands on just the right angles in "Camera," which praises "searching for the holy grail of horizontal and vertical, the perfect tilt to catch a face, fingertips, a sigh." In the provocative "Confession," film-savvy Gyllenhaal compares the shoulders of his object of affection to those of Katharine Hepburn in the 1940s, yet fesses up, "It's to your knees that my eyes fall."
Where can you find this hidden gem? Only at AuthorsBookshop.com, a small new online company. Cantara Christopher explains, "Just like in the movie business, the old way of getting your work to the public is breaking down. The big impersonal online retailers used to be the only alternative for small presses. Now it's time to give places like AuthorsBookshop.com a chance to let independent authors like Stephen find their audience."
Claptrap: Notes from Hollywood definitely deserves to find its audience. Stephen Gyllenhaal's first book of poetry is a rare treat to read and savor. |
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Visitor's Notes:
Post a note! Read this book? Tell us what you thought. Want to read it? Tell us why. Know the author? Tell us a funny story. Comment on how pretty the cover is. Whatever you have to say about this book, we want to hear it!
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Danielle:
Claptrap. "Blablabla" in the French language. Believe it or not, an actual college level French dictionary contains that exact translation with that exact spelling. This onomatopoeic term, reminsicent of what a person might say in the midst of rambling, truly captures what Stephen Gyllenhaal's Claptrap: Notes From Hollywood is all about. However, it is not a slipshod compilation in paperback form that contains nonsencial jabbering . Gyllenhaal's poetry, each a short story of sorts, comes from the innermost depths of his heart and mind, each of which touch the reader's heart in a different way each time it is read.
Poetry is one of those things that not everyone can enjoy for obvious reasons. It is a deliberate and emotional charge put down onto paper. However, Gyllenhaal carefully chooses his words, letting the reader feel without overwhelming them. He invites them into his world, introduces them to his family and even shares with them his own view on politics, romance and the amazement of life in general.
"Watching You Strip/ My Daughter" is a vivid description of a father watching his daughter succeed (in this case, Gyllenhaal watching his daughter shine in a stage performance of "Chicago") and being so overwhelmed with pride that it overcomes everything else. It changes his outlook on life. This will tug on the heartstrings of any daughter and identitiy with any loving father.
Gyllenhaal does not only specifiy his daughter in Claptrap but also creates for his son (Jake) a beautiful collection of words that truly marks his importance in this world in "At 25".
As far as politics are concerned, Stephen is not afraid to speak his mind, so powerfully so that even if one is not totally convinced of his points, specifically after reading "Democracy" and "The Enrom in My Face", there will definitely be some questioning of society and government as a whole.
Aside from the emotion and dedication towards others contained in this volume of Stephen Gyllenhaal's poetry, the reader is able to get to know a real human being and how he thinks on a personal level without even meeting him in person. In the world we live in today it is hard to find genuine people, but Claptrap helps to point out that Gyllenhaal is one of the most.
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Cristine:
October 4, 2006 - Happy Birthday Stephen!
And congratulations on your new granddaugher. :)
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Cristine A. Gruber:
“Nothing is ever as simple as it seems” – so Mr. Gyllenhaal reminds us in his poem, “Spangled Banner” and indeed continues to remind us throughout his insightful and reflective first collection. Claptrap: Notes from Hollywood is a thoughtful, honest, and poignant compilation of touching and detailed poems.
The author pulls the reader in immediately, creating a sense of security, only to have the proverbial rug pulled out from under those slippery feet, with the surprising veracity of who we are and how we live. “Careful There Pardner” is an excellent choice for an opening poem. Verbally smacked upside the head, the reader has no choice but to sit back, take a deep breath, and devour the entire book in one sitting. Every poem leaves an impression and incites additional readings. The author details the simple, and clarifies the extraordinary.
Gyllenhaal’s imagery is mesmerizing. A spiritual union takes place between reader and poem, as one submerges deeper into the sights and sounds and smells. As with the poem, “Communion,” the juxtaposition of the gardener with the blower and the priest swinging the incense almost triggered an asthma attack as I read the cleverly placed words.
Equally comfortable with both long and short poems, some of his concise works contain incredibly strong messages. The heart may never be viewed the same way again, after reading his poem, “Tender.” And “Axiom” is indeed a favorite. Three simple lines that say so much – sometimes only a poem can dispel the demons that plague us all.
Some will make you smile, others will make you pause, and a few will make you hurt, as with “The Man.” For anyone who’s ever waited on a gurney, in a gown that doesn’t quite fit, thinking about the ones who are grown and not worried, (because you aren’t that old, yet)…you’ll read this poem and tremble in understanding.
“Confession” touches on the simple things that capture our attention and last through the years, and “Bread” is beautiful – illustrating longevity in life, love and relationships.
“Grammar” is breathtaking – ‘the space between the words’ – what a beautiful insight.
There are no approximate words in a poem, and each ‘space’ speaks volumes as well.
The poet goes on to touch on every conceivable emotion. “Night Job” tears at the heart, even as the heart is being given away.
Daily life can be a bit of a circus. Life in Tinseltown is probably more of a spectacle than most. “Success” and “Canon” offer fascinating glimpses into the glitz and illusion of the creative existence known as Hollywood. Sometimes the truth can only come out in a poem.
In summary, though the poet laments in “Greenwich Time,” – ‘I will not just leave this perfect place without a mark,’ I believe it’s safe to say, ‘not to worry, Stephen…you have left your mark.’ Hopefully, this book is only the first of many such volumes to follow. An affecting collection. Well done.
About the reviewer:
Cristine A. Gruber, a Southern California native, is an award-winning author/poet whose work has been featured in numerous magazines including: Writer’s Digest, Writers’ Journal, Westward Quarterly, Lummox Journal, Northwoods Journal, The Penwood Review, Poem, The Poet’s Pen, Poetry Depth Quarterly, and Ruah – Power of Poetry.
She is a member of The Poetry Society of America, The Society of American Poets and The Christian Writers Guild.
Her first book of poetry, Lifeline, is available through Amazon.com.
Her second book, Walking Barefoot with God, will be available Fall 2006.
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