totolly unique nothing on the planet like it !!!

Michael's poems reveal a life of many experiences. His wonderful voice with background music really brings this poetry to life. His words are solid and sure.

Stark Reality is appropriately named for this artist, whose effort here is obviously quite personal and spans an enormous and rich world of varied experiences, understanding, and compassion for humanity, and for himself. Deep feelings come tumbling forth, as in the simple and beautiful poem, Stumbling. The poet's childhood is vividly evoked and will be recognized by many of us through the smells and tactile delights he describes and recalls in My Mother's Purse. Lucy is heartbreaking, yet we know it is true. The Ballad of Isreal Sierra is a straightforward and bold telling of a tragic tale of an immigration nightmare. Mary Said is light, (mostly), and also rings true. We recognize ourselves with laughter,horror, and compassion in Fear and Paranoia, and on it goes with every track - recognition of our common humanity, expressed in the deep, resonant, shattering voice of Mr. Michael Stark. The accompanying music on several tracks pays tribute to the current stage of the artist's colony, Woodstock, NY, where the CD was recorded.

This is a great collection of poems and stories with an avant garde edge to them. Most of the readings are set to music and the intonation of the spoken words is quite musical and pleasant to listen to. These are complex pieces with strong imagery that will deliver many nuances with each repeated listening. It all fits in quite well with the genres of Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs. At times Michael Stark comes across as a heterosexual version of Allen Ginsberg. "Stark Reality" should be better known than it apparently is.