BOOK REVIEW - Popshot

Jacob Denno's biannual poetry anthology

By Hannah Glick

Denno accurately dubs his zine of poetry and illustration as ‘ruddy pretty’. Popshot documents the disorientation, disillusionment and disappointments our generation feels about our past, present and future, as witty and intelligent, lyrical and visual forms of art.

Denno has resurrected poetry’s relevance by collating young people’s poetic thoughts- on reading Popshot, any embers of school anthologies will be long forgotten. This is poetry for hipsters, not tweed elbows patched with leather.
The poetry inspires and involves you in the issues of our generation; whether controversial comments on the BNP, illegal immigrants and homelessness, or

evaluating our everyday lives like hedonistic sex, academics with Lady Macbeth qualities and alienation at work.

Lose your Head, Teach is a satirical and realistic response to the recruitment campaign which will grace us with their presence at our careers fairs. The Neighbours from Hell displaces our monarchy so that striking and shocking resemblances to the families our society is ashamed of are formed. The standard of poetry inside Popshot excels what is called exceptional.
Art wise, Popshot reinvents Blake’s marriage of lyrics and image.  Illustrations are insightful, intriguing and just bloody beautiful.  The young artists surpass what is deserving of a trendy showcase in Shoreditch.

My only complaint of Popshot is that it is biannual- I am already craving my next fix of angst over the real concerns of our contemporary society.  I also think it should be printed as a book, as it should certainly be treasured like one.

You cannot fail to engage with the poetry in Popshot- it is accessible to absolutely anyone.  This zine should be read time and time again and then again in ten years time. It deserves nothing less than your full attention.