Poetry
Date Published: March 22, 2024
Publisher: MindStir Media
Laughing is Forever is my second book. And while it’s gritty, rhythmic,
dark and dangerous it’s also fun, quirky, and inquisitive. Topics range from
growing up in the Deep South to questioning the mainstream narrative of how
it all . . . came to be. I want people who don’t read much and who hate
poetry (the largest demographic) to give this collection a chance and fall
in love with books by reading something that they can relate to and/or be
awed by. Laughing is Forever is a standalone book, a brand-new beast, but
follows in the footsteps of Blameforest in the sense that it’s reinventing
what poetry can be. And hopefully inspiring folks to take risks with their
own work and stand out from the maddening crowd.
Reviews for Laughing is Forever
“These are the kind of tattered, beautiful poems I often search for and
rarely find-the ones that explain, ‘Just be happy with a beer after work.
You know, quit all the complaining. It won’t change a single thing. It just
prolongs the suffering.’ “
-Sean Thomas Dougherty, author of Death Prefers the Minor Keys
“Stocks’s writing has a powerful immediacy, and his poems are packed with
both profanity and pop-culture references . . .”
-Kirkus Reviews
“This collection is brave, unflinching and hits you like a punch in the
jaw. It is at times brutal and vicious but also tender and intelligent. I
was reminded of early Eminem in the poignant anger of some of the
poems.”
-Sam Szanto, author of If No One Speaks
EXCERPT
I can only hope
and pray, that my armpits are dry
and smell nice for such an occasion.
—from “My Father’s Ghost”
About the Author
Jason Stocks is a writer and teacher living in south Florida. Before
becoming a teacher, he worked in a chicken house, washed dishes, bagged
groceries, waited tables, and sold cars. His first full-length poetry
collection–Blameforest–was published in 2021 and was recently named a
finalist in the 2024 American Legacy Book Awards for contemporary poetry.
When not writing, he enjoys reading vintage YA horror, riding his Haro
cruiser, and spending time with the family.
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