Overview

Acclaimed essayist and musician, David Belmont takes us on a poetic journey through life under lockdown in New York City during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the few months following, replete with political commentary, philosophical musings and musical references. ""World Gone Zoom is a collection of true tales about living in New York City during the time it acquired the name 'epicenter'... and comes with a soundtrack. Listen to it. Glisten with it. Someday it will be history. We hope."" Gary Phillips, Poet Laureate, Carrboro, North Carolina ""The subject at hand is dark and heavy but David's writing, filled with sensitivity, is somehow light and refreshingly witty. I found my eyes dancing down the page..."" Liz Carlson, founder, Common Point Acupuncture ""World Gone Zoom performs the pandemic with a musicality that reverberates with both rock and jazz."" Don Rubin, Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia ""With heart aflame and the eyes of a hawk, musician and writer David Belmont swoops-masked-through New York City in pandemic lockdown, picking up strands of hope, fear and wry humor..."" Nan K. Chase, author, Lost Restaurants of Asheville ""World Gone Zoom expresses thoughts/feelings/reflections that we all may have but gives them the light of day with both poetic dexterity and musical sensibility making it a true gift to read."" Cathy Salit, author, Performance Breakthrough ""What follows pause? Play? Fast forward? Rewind? In Belmont's poetry-all of the above."" Christine Helm, faculty, East Side Institute

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9781948461825

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Reviews

In World Gone Zoom, we experience the pandemic from the viewpoint of someone who is uncompromised and dedicated not to truth-telling but to life-exposing. Part Ferlinghetti, part Rock 'n Roll, David's poetry is meant to be read out loud, almost sung. His observations will sting, bite, hypnotize and make you laugh all at the same time. It's the kind of laughter that makes you uncomfortable, as it should. In Zoom he brings the music with him and hits some much needed dissonant notes. -Caroline Donnola, chair, Creative Writing Department, UX at the All-Stars Project Who would have thought that Dylan, Lennon, Marley, Morrison, Ochs, Byrne and Donovan could have presaged a world gone zoom? That's the lyrical genius of New York City artist, David Belmont, who riffs off these legendary poets to conjure up a ""New York tough"" pandemic life-sequestered and blandly hunkered down. With simple, stark-and often very funny-imagery, David invites you into a NYC ""struggling in place,"" with no way home. Enjoy, savor, and smile at our human predicament. -Janet Wootten, SVP, Rubenstein Communications World Gone Zoom, David Belmont's powerful reflection of the COVID world is like looking down a microscope into our transmuted lives under virus and when he strikes a personal note in ""Harry Grimes"" and ""The Corner Store"" our humanity is deeply touched. The powerful ""Americans in Conversation"" also has a simplicity that evokes the deteriorating heartbeat of the country. And Belmont's pointed distilling of observance and emotion into notes, like his musical references, are both consumable and long lasting; his rhythms urging you to pick up drums and beat to the pulse of the city. As the directness of his words construct a range of emotions, World Gone Zoom, a must read, carries us along Belmont's four-month roadmap of the shifting COVID world. -Marc Maislen, director, New Visions Arts David Belmont takes us on a surprisingly heart-warming and heart-wrenching journey through the 2020 pandemic in his book of poems. Throwbacks to other times, other genres, a cacophony of emotions and memories (recent and long past) fill the pages in his sparse and thoughtful verse. World Gone Zoom captures and expresses thoughts/feelings/reflections that we all may have but gives them the light of day with both poetic dexterity and musical sensibility (and history) making it a true gift to read. -Cathy Salit, author, Performance Breakthrough america has gone/ from red and blue/ to black and blue David Belmont says, and he's right. World Gone Zoom is a collection of true tales about living in New York City during the time it acquired the name ""epicenter."" World Gone Zoom is up-to-date and comes with a soundtrack. Listen to it. Glisten with it. Someday it will be history. We hope. -Gary Phillips, Poet Laureate of Carrboro, North Carolina

In World Gone Zoom, we experience the pandemic from the viewpoint of someone who is uncompromised and dedicated not to truth-telling but to life-exposing. Part Ferlinghetti, part Rock 'n Roll, David's poetry is meant to be read out loud, almost sung. His observations will sting, bite, hypnotize and make you laugh all at the same time. It's the kind of laughter that makes you uncomfortable, as it should. In Zoom he brings the music with him and hits some much needed dissonant notes. -Caroline Donnola, chair, Creative Writing Department, UX at the All-Stars Project Who would have thought that Dylan, Lennon, Marley, Morrison, Ochs, Byrne and Donovan could have presaged a world gone zoom? That's the lyrical genius of New York City artist, David Belmont, who riffs off these legendary poets to conjure up a New York tough pandemic life-sequestered and blandly hunkered down. With simple, stark-and often very funny-imagery, David invites you into a NYC struggling in place, with no way home. Enjoy, savor, and smile at our human predicament. -Janet Wootten, SVP, Rubenstein Communications World Gone Zoom, David Belmont's powerful reflection of the COVID world is like looking down a microscope into our transmuted lives under virus and when he strikes a personal note in Harry Grimes and The Corner Store our humanity is deeply touched. The powerful Americans in Conversation also has a simplicity that evokes the deteriorating heartbeat of the country. And Belmont's pointed distilling of observance and emotion into notes, like his musical references, are both consumable and long lasting; his rhythms urging you to pick up drums and beat to the pulse of the city. As the directness of his words construct a range of emotions, World Gone Zoom, a must read, carries us along Belmont's four-month roadmap of the shifting COVID world. -Marc Maislen, director, New Visions Arts David Belmont takes us on a surprisingly heart-warming and heart-wrenching journey through the 2020 pandemic in his book of poems. Throwbacks to other times, other genres, a cacophony of emotions and memories (recent and long past) fill the pages in his sparse and thoughtful verse. World Gone Zoom captures and expresses thoughts/feelings/reflections that we all may have but gives them the light of day with both poetic dexterity and musical sensibility (and history) making it a true gift to read. -Cathy Salit, author, Performance Breakthrough america has gone/ from red and blue/ to black and blue David Belmont says, and he's right. World Gone Zoom is a collection of true tales about living in New York City during the time it acquired the name epicenter. World Gone Zoom is up-to-date and comes with a soundtrack. Listen to it. Glisten with it. Someday it will be history. We hope. -Gary Phillips, Poet Laureate of Carrboro, North Carolina

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