Richard Curson, that's me, is putting the finishing touches to his second book entitled "Burst With Verse 2" following the success of Burst With Verse launched in Cambridge in 1997. The new book of poetry promises to shock the nation with a creative explosion of humour, celebrity, rudeness, weird and wonderfulness. How exciting, well hold your horses because it's not quite finished yet, but as soon as it is it'll be ready to land on the desks of the poetry publishers, whatever's left of them. Unfortunately they've been struggling since I've been off the scene, so I thought I had better give them something to do. I hope I have captured a strong empowerment of up to the moment, topical and humourous verse, it's up to you to read it and find out.
A reviewer wrote a review on Amazon about my last book "Burst With Verse". I must comment I am pleased my work has been found to have this effect and view.
Reviewer: A reader
Mr Curson's lavish debut offering appeared with a flourish on the Comic Publications imprint in late 1997, to plaudits from celebrities as varied as Paul Daniels and Ed Hall. 'Burst With Verse' is a wide-ranging anthology of Curson's early work and displays both a keen intellect and a sharp tongue, which he never shies away from thrusting into dark areas. It features a dazzling lexicon of styles, from the deeply-felt and intensely personal "I Just Don't Know what To Do" to the joyous character observation "Trixie".
Barriers of taste and content come crashing down as Curson writes bravely about thorny issues such as sweaty feet, faeces and vanity publishing. Political commentators will be impressed by Curson's incisive two-part satire on the monarchy, "H.R.H.", a work ostensibly about Diana and Charles where the author's resentment about class barriers, gender stereotypes and the ultimate futility of human struggle is barely concealed in the quatrains:
Her Royal Highness
So mild and mellow,
Who speaks so politely
and wears pretty yellow;
A graceful She
Is so calm at tea;
Her Royal Highness,
Her Majesty to be.
Younger readers meanwhile, will be impressed by Curson's colourful use of language such as "fart" to create texture and mood. However, we see much of the incurable romantic lover in Curson, notably in one touching passage where he describes how in moments of passion "my arse would melt". Verse like this offers us an intimate and unguarded view at the private side of its author.
At £5 this volume represents a fabulous investment. The book is designed for coffee-table use with an expensive typeface and a fine, bold illustration on its cover. Fans are still awaiting the follow-up, which no doubt shall thrust itself upon us just when we least expect it.
