Michael Giacon’s debut poetry collection, undressing in slow motion, appeared at the top of the Nielsen bestseller list in the first week of June. This was quite a feat for a first book of poetry from a small publisher. Giacon’s work is a substantial, playful collection of 99 pages, with approximately 85 poems divided between four numbered sections.

Undressing in slow motion implies the removal of clothes, of skin, and a reveal of what is within, accepted whether ugly or beautiful. Giacon has lived a lot of life, negotiating death, love and sexuality, reconciling himself with his Italian-Catholic roots along the way. Sand, surf, trees, and the coast grounds him on this journey, showing up repeatedly in the poetry:

‘I rock to waves that roll
right back, mist-anointed
in speechless walk over
crested sea’ (Nature fx)

In ‘Scenes from a Gay Play’ the author details snapshots of attraction, of activism, of gay pride and how it developed through his life. The image of:

‘Marching down Queen St on a Friday night, eight of us in the rain
behind a police car chanting 2 4 6 8 GAY IS TWICE AS GOOD AS STRAIGHT’ (Scenes from a Gay Play)

sticks in one’s mind as brave, heartbreaking, and darkly comedic. Undressing in slow motion is full of these revealing moments.

Q & A

I have a visual memory and he takes photographs
I have a way with words that miscommunicates quite well

when he meets loss, he requests an interview
I find rhyme in the Q & A offered as a gift

he prefers a professional profile to enshrine his integrity
he's upset and perplexed as I wallow in apology

I offer extinction and trash my enthusiasm to the height of art
he takes photographs but I have a visual memory