This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.
Allow the Light is full of the poems that Jack McCarthy wrote but hadn’t been published before his passing. His poems are raw and, I would say, confessional. Most of them were a few pages long and all were about his life, marriages, addiction, and more. Although his words are deep, the poems had a conversational tone. I felt like he was having a conversation with me. It was like I knew him, and at the same time, I wanted to get to know him.
For me, the most unique aspect of this book was the letters from friends, family, and other poets that are sprinkled throughout. From what they say, I can really see how great of a person he was and how his writing has affected so many. It makes me want to listen to his recordings of him reading his poetry and makes me want to invest in more of his poetry books like Drunks and Other Poems of Recovery, which was published after his death.
Although many might see this book as his second encore, to me, this book is just the beginning.
Five stars!
