Roberta Writes – Book review: Too Much Fun to Be Legal by Nolcha Fox and Barbara Leonhard #poetry #poetrycommunity #bookreview

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Picture caption: Book cover of Too Much Fun to Be Legal featuring people in foxes’ costumes

What Amazon says

Nolcha and Barbara decided to collaborate after Nolcha’s submission attachments to Barbara were mysteriously eaten by computer gremlins. Those gremlins were the topic of their first collaboration. It’s been so much fun to work together, it shouldn’t be legal.

My review

Too Much Fun to Be Legal is an engaging collection of witty, slightly sarcastic, and highly engaging poems by talented poets, Nolcha Fox and Barbara Leonhard. The poems are all freestyle and are written as alternate paragraph contributions by each poet. It is amazing how seamlessly the paragraphs fit together to create poems that flow perfectly. The poetry is highly imaginative and yet relatable and is filled with descriptions of daily life gone awry and the trials and tribulations of aging, which will have you nodding your head in understanding.

A few poetry extracts to demonstrate my commentary above.

Extracts from Diminishing:
Barbara’s contribution:
“Otherwise, I’m a monkey,
scaling shelves at the supermarket,
or using the grabber tool I was given
after my hip replacement
to snag containers”

Nolcha’s contribution:
“Supermarket shelves fell down
last time I tried to reach the Spam.
Canned goods, bottles, scattered,
shattered down Aisle 3 and 4.
Now the market manager
won’t let me shop without escort.
I just ride electric carts,
let someone else
do all the work.”

Extract from Freedom of the Body:
“Unshackle me from
pantyhose and heels,
from suits and ties,
from heavy bags
and briefcases
filled with everything
important, so we think.
These costumes
only serve as weights
to keep a work desk
in its place.”

I thought this paragraph describing work attire and the greater attitude towards work was very thought provoking. We all need to remember that we work to live and not let work become our lives.

Memory loss is a very real part of aging. Sometimes the demons, Dementia and Alzheimer’s, raise their ugly heads and the memory loss becomes all encompassing. This extract from I’m looking, written by Barbara, subtly illustrates this particular symptom.

“Like the shards of my soul
lost in traumas.
Some left to haunt
old homes, playgrounds,
hospitals. How to rescue
those missing pieces
of my memory?”

If you enjoy relatable poetry that allows you to smile, or even laugh, at the inconveniences, annoyances and griefs of life, you will enjoy this brilliantly compiled collection.

Purchase Too Much Fun to Be Legal from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DC4RTRCR

Find Nolcha and Barbara

You can find more of Nolcha’s poetry on her blog here: https://writingaddiction2.wordpress.com/

You can find more of Barbara’s poetry on her blog here: https://extraordinarysunshineweaver.blog/

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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59 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Book review: Too Much Fun to Be Legal by Nolcha Fox and Barbara Leonhard #poetry #poetrycommunity #bookreview”

  14. That’s a great book title! And you’ve provided a great review of the book. I like how the poetry is relatable. Maybe not everyone has knocked over cans at the grocery store — but I’ve certainly knocked over stuff from countertops and tables.

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  20. I’m fascinated by collaborative poetry, Robbie, so this book sounds fascinating. And the extracts you shared are wonderful – the first quite funny and the last poignant. The cover is crazy (not sure I’d pick up the book on cover alone) but the poetry seems wonderful. Thanks for the excellent review!

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  21. This collection sounds wonderful, Robbie. I relate to the humor of the grocery store experiences. I also appreciate you sharing the more serious poem about memory loss. Congratulations to Nolcha and Barbara!

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  22. What a pleasant surprise to find this review, Robbi. I’ve known Nolcha for several years, having met her through my state poetry society here in Wyoming. I’m thrilled this book is available on Kindle, since I have difficulty reading printed material due to my limited vision. I plan to check this book out. Thank you for sharing.

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