In literary journal Shampoo Issue 40, the cover art is fantastic. There are distinct contrasts between the purple, black, and orange that shapes the face of this mysterious girl. It holds a certain ambiguity that makes me want to open the pages of this collection. Jim Behrle’s “I Move the Clocks Ahead Every Weekend” started this collection out humorously. The poem has a touch of vulgar humor that appeals to many of our senses through the images presented. However, Behrle’s second poem “Thank You for Your Concern” was anything but appealing. I did not enjoy this poem, because the “political” statements are one dimensional. Emily Hunt’s poem “Symbols” states the word “light” one too many times by the third stanza. I honestly want to send her a Thesaurus. The work as a whole seems quite juvenile. The cover of this collection deceived me, as a reader. Guess that is how the saying goes, right?

                The cover Octopus Magazine 15 leaves much to be desired. However, unlike the Shampoo Issue 40 this literary journal seems to be quite professional. I enjoyed the layout of the journal, the white space used by the poets, and the color scheme of the texts. Alice Bolin’s “Yearbook” appeals to me on many different levels. The stanza: “Those whores. Our oboe reeds litter the alley. Leak saliva on the yearbook and don't ask questions. / The painter's nest spit-burned and choked in apple, the big suckling pig.” This is my favorite out of the poem. There is an array of images of the “big suckling pig” and “saliva on the yearbook.” It creates an atmosphere anyone can picture in their head, however; it still leaves the reader with a sour taste in their mouths. The ambiguity of what might be happening in the poem, and the mysterious feeling of the certainty of not wanting to know creates an intriguing atmosphere. This is in contradiction with Kevin Simmonds’ “Summer of 1982.” There are vivid images here as well, but lacks a sense of ambiguity. The reader clearly knows what is taking place in the poem. I would have originally guessed it would take away from the poem, but the aesthetic beauty of arrangement of words draws the reader back into the poem.