Aaron Belz is a poet living in Efland, North Carolina. He holds a B.A. in English and history from Covenant College (1993), a Master’s in Creative Writing from New York University (1995) and a doctorate in English from Saint Louis University (2007). Belz has published two poetry collections, The Bird Hoverer (BlazeVOX Books, 2007) and Lovely, Raspberry (Persea Books, 2010).
Belz’s recent collection Lovely, Raspberry has received a good amount of attention in the blogosphere and beyond. Transpositions will be posting a review of Belz’s work later this week, but you can also find other insightful reflections here and here. The publisher of Belz’s poetry collection, Persea Books, has published some insightful praise of the book:
Aaron Belz’s poetry reminds us that poetry should be bright, friendly, surprising, and totally committed to everything but itself. Reading him is like dreaming of a summer vacation and then taking it. —John Ashbery
Belz is one of the brave few whose ears are attuned to the comic amid the contemporary. He writes in the tradition of Richard Brautigan, never afraid to let the awkward intensity of address and visual snap of juxtapostion hijack the poem’s more solemn duties. Reading Belz is like watching an intimate comic performance; it’s stand-up poetry meant for you alone. —Chris Martin
There is much of substance in Belz’s poetry, and it can at times be heady and intellectual. But I deeply appreciate his sense of humor, and his rare gift to make one laugh out loud while reading a poem. Please also check out Belz’s blog and website where he often posts poetry, essays and other thoughts.
