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Survival of the Fittest
Dying of Lassitude and Ennui is a striking collection of prose poems that confronts a multitude of personal and political themes with unflinching bluntness. Why was this a bucket-list item for you to publish before you die?
I’m 77 years old now; I could live another 20 years or be gone tomorrow this is a matter of personal importance to me. Trying to get a toehold in the American poetry publishing world is every British writer’s dream because the scene in the UK is dead from the neck up. It’s riddled with class snobbery and a ‘closed shop’ mentality.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I don’t have specific ideas or aims. A lot of my work is autobiographical due to the extraordinary level of social isolation and loneliness I’ve had to live with due to being severely sight-impaired. I’ve been shown very little human kindness and compassion during my long life as an Englishman born and bred. The British mentality appears to be the survival of the fittest and the devil takes the hindmost. I’ve managed to stay alive this long by getting clued up and street wise at an early age.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
I wish I’d known when I was younger how to take care of my physical and mental health and learned how to love myself and to not try and drink myself to death and not take mind-altering substances. All I’ve ever wanted is love and happiness and all I’ve ever had is heartache and misery and hardly any good luck at all.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your collection of poetry?
Whatever they want to, I suppose. I’m no saint; I’ve suffered for my art and now I’d like to reap some recognition and financial reward for it. I’d love to be rich and famous before I die. It’s not rocket science, just plain old human desire and ambition and a hope that I might still find love before I return to the void from whence I came.
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I’m an old man of nearly 77 years of age but I’m still young at heart. Publishing this collection is the last ‘to do’ item to be ticked off on my bucket list. When I die, I won’t be missed by anyone except myself.
If there is an afterlife I’ll find my paradise there, if not it truly is ‘Game over.’
Dying of Lassitude and Ennui
Phil Fletcher-Stokes’ Dying of Lassitude and Ennui is a striking collection of prose poems that confronts a multitude of personal and political themes with unflinching bluntness. This hard-hitting compilation captures the zeitgeist of our contemporary world, touching on topics as diverse as Putin, Ukraine, COVID-19, and Blanche Monnier.
The poems offer a vivid snapshot of current times and culture, characterized by an immediate and pervasive bitterness. Fletcher-Stokes’ personal struggles—microphthalmia, mental illnesses, loneliness, and decades of marginalization—resonate deeply through his work. His exclusion from the mainstream poetry scene and the limited success with his written word have profoundly shaped his voice. Particularly poignant is ’60 Years of Loneliness,’ a piece that elicits both laughter and deep sympathy for the poet. At first glance, the collection may seem dominated by bitterness and complaints, with a directness that eschews conventional stylistic flourishes. However, a more thoughtful engagement reveals the richness of Fletcher-Stokes’ reflections on a broad array of subjects. His candid musings range from critiques of Louise Glück and political correctness to contemplations on public infrastructure, lost love, failure, and his own isolation. Fletcher-Stokes’ life as a ‘keyboard warrior’ is neither romanticized nor trivialized. His experiences are presented plainly, encapsulating his belief in being ‘cursed’ and pursued by ‘evil entities.’ This raw, unembellished portrayal adds to the authenticity and gravity of his work.
The poet’s unfiltered narrative and at times graphic descriptions impart a raw power to his poems. His strong opinions, backed by 77 years of a profoundly lonely life, lend immense weight to his reflections. Dying of Lassitude and Ennui is dark, sad, twisted, wry, and intensely real, making it a compelling and truthful reflection of the times we live in.
Pages: 237 | ASIN : B0CVNGTCBK
LITERARY TITAN 