With a name like Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon you expect a certain level or drunken late night epiphanies and high jinx associated with your local dive bar. What readers are treated to instead is a whole new level of thought provoking prose that turns any preconceived notions, or personal experiences, on their head. Randall McNair captures a world so many fail to explore, detailing what the reader can only imagine to be his life on the barstool at the corner of a dark room filled with regulars. The sort of place you just don’t pop in to try, but have a long established history with.

Each poem provides glimpses into the human psyche. One might think, from an outside glance, these are just ramblings. They are not. They are so much more. From the banker lamenting his lot in life to approaching wildfires threatening to burn the Swinging Door down, the thought that is put into every line makes this piece of literature provocative and absorbing.

McNair just might be a genius, having used his time nestled into the bar wisely. He evokes images of crazy, deep thought, and sheer brilliance sprinkled throughout for good measure. I found a world within his words that could easily be translated to a fully fleshed out manuscript. He has clearly studied the art, as admitted in the beginning of the book as he sat on his favorite stool reading countless other books on poetry.

Oh sure, there is lighthearted whimsy here, and more than a few poems that left me wondering. But overall this was an enjoyable collection of poetry from a man who has seen much, experienced more, and was kind enough to jot it all down for the rest of us to read.

Pages: 130 | ASIN: B0895697Q3