5-Star review (unsolicited by me) of HOLLYWOOD POETRY: 2001-2013

Reprinted from Amazon.com--with the author going under pseudonym of "High Expectations":

Hilarious! ... Classic McCarty

I first encountered Terry McCarty's poetry at one of his performances in the late 1990s in Los Angeles. I've been a fan ever since. This collection of McCarty's poetry takes me back to those days, when the open-mic poetry scene in LA was populated by some of the city's brightest writers, McCarty included. Back then, new writers crowded the podiums alongside accomplished writers each week at the many coffee shops and independent bookstores in the Southern California area. Some writers amused. Some writers provoked. Everyone seemed to feel as though they were a part of something essential, and they were. Terry McCarty was one of the writers who made that scene possible. He was always part of the biggest and best shows.

Although the scene is still there, I'm sad to say it's not nearly as big as it used to be. Most of the independent bookstores have long since disappeared, and some of the better coffee shop venues are gone too. But, many of the best writers, like McCarty, remain dedicated to their craft and can still be seen performing in the Southern California area, same as they did back in the day.

"Hollywood Poetry: 2001-2013," reads like the fad never faded. It is some of McCarty's best work yet, a classic portrait of the entertainment industry, and SoCal culture, as only McCarty can portray. To call McCarty's wit "wry" is appropriate, but it also does his work a small injustice as the word "wry" suggests to some a mean-spirited mocking-type humor and I find nothing mean-spirited about McCarty's work. His humor is delightfully dry, painfully honest, judiciously nonjudgemental (mostly), and just plain hilarious. He leads you to conclusions in his special way. He makes me laugh every time. McCarty's voice is so rich in each piece that you can almost hear that lugubrious delivery that is his signature.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the voice of witty poets, as well as to anyone in and around the entertainment industry. Chances are you've seen the same things McCarty has seen, although maybe not quiet the same way, until now.