AustLit

'Dominic Kirwan’s latest collection of poetry, Spreading the Bad Word, is jaw-droppingly delicious, and I say that as someone who does not usually consider myself a fan of the genre. Like a lot of people, I thought of poetry as the realm of greeting cards and teenage girls, but this is some great, grown-up stuff. Kirwan is a master craftsman of words, an architect that rummages through his vocabulary of nouns, adjectives, and verbs and then links them together to build tantalising towers of emotional intensity that will awe anyone lucky enough to read his finished masterpieces. This collection is not for the faint of heart. Kirwan will often leave the reader breathless as he whips his audience around the corners of his reality. You may never be quite sure if you are wandering through the poet’s own mind or some nightmarish painting, bold in colour and shocking in its subject matter. Either way, you will be enthralled, perhaps a tad frightened, but entirely wanting to follow him down this dark alley and into the next. Each poem is its own chapter of life, some overlapping, but each a spectacular explosion of feeling. Whether addressing the unbearable realities of love, loss, religion, regret and death, Kirwan also uplifts in his unique way on subjects like gratitude and motherhood, and he is guaranteed to shock with his takes on abortion, social media, and loneliness. I consider it an honour to recommend this book to both the poetry geek and the non-believer. Let Kirwan introduce you to his unique world that is intimate, appalling and delectable all at the same time.’ - Grace Noble, English teacher, spectacular commentator extraordinaire' (Publication summary) ​​​​​​​

''This is a vast collection of meaty poetry, and it traverses diverse topics with irreverent wordplay and dirty-hearted love. To be truthful and self-expressive under the vicious hail of mental illness is not easy. There are so many repeatable quips, but I quote here lines about Andy, who was my always partner: "It spoke at him constantly / Rattling off insults and taunts / Not a minute went by / Without a cruel dig or a dull, perilous whisper / Always at the expense / Of his frail sense / That what was deep inside of him / Was outside of him as well." Doesn't that speak to all of us?' - Sally Harbison, poet, writer, academic

''Kirwan creates another world, full of storytelling, imagery, symbolism and pathos all in good humour. Sort of quirky and surreal at times. This remarkable collection is a mark of respect to our mutual friend Andrew Coote. His legacy brings the best out in Dominic. The master craftsman at work.' - Peter Gate, poet, author of Strange Car in My Street

''Dominic creates a perspective that compels the reader to want to look at themselves and reality through his eyes. Beautifully eccentric and at times brutal, his work explores identity through the lenses of loneliness, love and loss. A journey that points out the tropes of human existence with an irreverent charm. The Mouth in the Sky will make you smirk, pluck your own heartstrings and chuckle while drinking pickled honesty. Poetry at its finest, this book begs to be read more than once.' - Leonie Hagstrom, poet' (Publication summary)

'The Holy Babble is a sumptuous feast for the imagination. In this Hieronymus Bosch style drive-through, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny steal the Christ myth. Panty thieves, monkeys chained to word processors, and rebellious talking ants inhabit decrepit fringes of the city of Moralpanik. In fact, Moralpanik is all fringes, and no exits. No one can leave this world, not even the reader, nor will you want to. Kirwan stitches this aberrant crew of characters into stories that bend and twist better than Luna Park's old rattler roller-coaster. Strap yourself in because this carriage is going off the rails and into beautiful insanity.

''There is a host of freaks: wannabe vampires, headless masturbating deviants, and tortured serial killers. Much of the material is based on the Bible, or rather, The Holy Babble. Joseph thinks he is Superman. Mary is a struggling, pregnant teenager. Jesus appears in multiple forms, and his disciples are chain-smoking lunatics. All these characters are shadowed by menacing clown-like beings that seek to control and undermine free will. These interconnected short stories are darkly hilarious. They are richly woven with more than a hint of meta-fiction. I loved this book.' - Sally Harbison, writer and perpetual student

''In the Heavenly Herald last week, God the Father, Sun-Tzu and the peppercorn ghost said, "The Holy Babble is either humanly honest, or honestly human. Read it!" And thus, readers, together we've risen from the word graveyard in Kirwan's first, fast-flowing multiplicity of treasures, out across the void referred to -- a tale of those words reborn as characters in a near-transparent shaving from the paper they were born on. If you enjoy your characters sad, deranged and zany - in other words reminiscent of this thing we call life - you will really enjoy Kirwan's The Holy Babble.' - John M. Wenitong, aka Pemulwuy Weeatunga, author of the Fethafoot Chronicles' (Publication summary)

'“‘Send me your miracles and your monsters. Send me your plucked-out eyes and the pungent perfume of your spent loins. Hold me in the jaws of your slavering mouse…’ We look at the same words and see such different things, but within this collection we see the same intricate ideas Kirwan is known for, the same dark passion he has always had burning within him. I see a poet with more punk in him than he thinks, more soul in him than he knows, and more understanding of the human condition than most people. ‘I am here,’ says Kirwan. ‘I have always been here.’ The world has always been around us, both calm and nebulous, and it is up to us to decide how to view it. What colour glasses to wear. Kirwan’s poems are so vibrantly honest there’s no time to put on shades. His poems concoct a vision of him standing in the mirror, bloodied palms facing outwards, unable to wash his hands nor let them hang idly by his sides. This is his truth.” - Claire Fitzpatrick, author, poet, journalist
'“Depths of wisdom and humour encapsulated within the razor-sharp bite of satire. Kirwan’s best collection yet, and his most heartfelt.” - Anthony J. Langford, author, poet, film-maker
'“If one were to rip into the wretched carcass of life and tear out its palpitating heart, what would one do with it? What would one discern its owner was doing, directly prior to such a calamitous outcome? The Miracle was picking wild flowers in a mine field and inevitably took a fatal misstep. The Monster cared not a whit for the hearts of those he mercilessly devoured. This conceptual anthology of poetry is heartfelt, sincere and, most of all, fearless. Kirwan navigates treacherous territory daringly, and sensitive ground with an expression of pathos and calm unique to himself. If there is one poetry collection that you are going to treat yourself to this year, this is it.” - Andrew Coote, visual artist and poet'  (Publication summary)

'‘Eerily reminiscent of the late poet Stan Rice, Kirwan’s words can almost be read as a sarcastic spiritual confession. A ruthlessly honest exploration of the human psyche, on one hand it seems a self-help book for the fabricated dishonesty of society, on the other it gives voice for those who have none. Humour is speckled through Kirwan’s observations, refreshingly brash and unapologetic. Yet there is an unrelenting bleakness to his words, a bleakness all the more tangible because every sentence, every word, is true.’ – Claire Fitzpatrick, poet, journalist

‘The dark, acerbic world of Dominic Kirwan’s second poetry collection may churn the stomach with its no holds barred content, yet in the same breath, can bring about air splitting laughter. It’s smart for certain, but its heart stopping honesty will keep you coming back for that one more fix. Enter the catacombs if you will, but don’t expect the mirror to be kind. It’s far too pure for that.’ – Anthony J. Langford, poet, film maker.' (Publication summary)