Overview

Dreaming of North Beach (from Corporate America) is a raw, unfiltered poetry collection about modern disillusionment and the search for something real. From gut-punch confessions to laugh-out-loud barroom tales, Deno Gell drags us through fluorescent office halls and into the neon streets of San Francisco's North Beach. The speaker questions the value of titles, tech dreams, and the soul-cost of a ""good job."" Along the way, Gell reckons with burnout, booze, and the slow creep of aging-while we meet clueless middle managers toeing the company line, hungover prophets, and the kind of fleeting magic that only happens at 3 a.m. These poems walk the line between heartbreak and humor, burnout and resilience-always honest, never precious. For anyone who's ever stared at a spreadsheet and wished they were somewhere else, this book is a window. Or maybe a way out.

Full Product Details

9798998799709

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Gell deftly takes down corporate culture in this incisive poetry collection. Depictions of open-office hell are relatably conveyed, including overenthusiastic middle managers, pointless meetings, and the feeling that 'lunch is always too short.' A sardonic yet vulnerable voice explores soul-crushing work environments, a marriage's end, aging, and a longing for meaning. The author's self-described role as a 'company hack' anchors poems that move between startup absurdities, student loan critique, divorce, and burnout. His vulnerability humanizes the narrative... An astute, entertaining appraisal of the daily grind."" - Kirkus Reviews ""Loved it! Awareness, Disillusionment, and Raw Insights - an emotional exploration. This collection of poems is moving, reflecting a conflicting emotional spectrum from cynicism and anger to moments of profound insights and self-actualization through the creative process. It's a raw, troublesome, and grief-stricken quest for meaning, interwoven into a complex tapestry that leaves the reader questioning, and optimistic about possibilities for deeper exploration, healing, and growth."" - Reedsy Discover ""Vivid, specific, and painfully real... The poems reflect the absurdity of Corporate America itself. I love its ironic, exasperated tone. Exhausted, middle-aged readers who desire to escape the rat race will love the book's dry humour. Deserves a rating of 5 out of 5 stars."" - Online Book Club ""A striking collection about a speaker lost in the hollowing world of corporate America. These poems are precisely intentional in establishing the way that corporate America strips individuals of the wonderful things that make them human. Gell gifts readers with Dreaming of North Beach (from Corporate America) - a vital critique of work life."" - Independent Book Review

""Gell deftly takes down corporate culture in this incisive poetry collection. Depictions of open-office hell are relatably conveyed, including overenthusiastic middle managers, pointless meetings, and the feeling that 'lunch is always too short.' A sardonic yet vulnerable voice explores soul-crushing work environments, a marriage's end, aging, and a longing for meaning. The author's self-described role as a 'company hack' anchors poems that move between startup absurdities, student loan critique, divorce, and burnout. His vulnerability humanizes the narrative... An astute, entertaining appraisal of the daily grind."" - Kirkus Reviews ""Loved it! Awareness, Disillusionment, and Raw Insights - an emotional exploration. This collection of poems is moving, reflecting a conflicting emotional spectrum from cynicism and anger to moments of profound insights and self-actualization through the creative process. It's a raw, troublesome, and grief-stricken quest for meaning, interwoven into a complex tapestry that leaves the reader questioning, and optimistic about possibilities for deeper exploration, healing, and growth."" - Reedsy Discover

Author Information

Deno Gell is a poet and the founder of Gell Studio Presents, a platform for poetry and lyrical expression. His debut collection, Dreaming of North Beach (from Corporate America), draws from years spent straddling two worlds: the corporate halls of the tech industry and the dive bars, backstreets, and poetic after-hours of San Francisco. Shaped by music, burnout, and the city itself, his voice explores the absurdity, ache, and dark humor of modern life.Originally from Chico, California, Deno has lived and worked in San Francisco since 2010.Follow him on Instagram: @thegellstudio

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