When I first started reading "Not a Lot of Reasons to Sing, But Enough," I had a hard time getting into it. However, after a while, I found it to be quite interesting. The illustrations throughout the book were absolutely gorgeous, and I loved how the author developed the world through poems and stories. One thing I really appreciated about the book was how the author tackled real-world problems in a metaphorical way, while still keeping them set in a fantasy world.

As for what the book is about, the description says quite a bit. While I am not a huge sci-fi fan, I love listening to button poetry, which is why I picked this book. I am loving how Myhre subtly weaves in lessons on poetry while touching upon so many of the issues we face in today’s society (but set in a futuristic dystopian society) all while adding strong threads of hope and positivity throughout.

Don’t forget to read the Afterword (or Liner Notes, as Myhre puts it), as well as the amazing Process, Reflect, Create section that includes so much information; that will help you understand things better, on the book itself (themes, motifs, the hows and whys in the book), as well as writing prompts that are sure to spark your imagination.

Thanks to Netgalley for the erc ;; these are my honest thoughts about the book

I read it in one sitting and I liked it so much. This is the kind of book that I insanely need right now.

I didn't get to finish this, as I took my time with it - evidently too much.
I did however really enjoy it. The poems were creative and in a style that I had never read before. I definitely have plans for finishing this at some point and recommending it to a few friends.

Kyle Tran Myhre’s NOT A LOT OF REASONS TO SING, BUT ENOUGH is unique and engaging poetry collection. I really enjoyed it!

Some of these were interesting and inspiring but that's it. I wasn't really captivated by all of them. I liked that the author wanted to spark a fire in the reader and I hope people will be motivated by these poems!

While the writing read beautifully with expressive themes, I found that it was not to my preference. This however may be appreciated by a different audience that is fond of this writing style.

The concept of this collection was so intriguing to me! It had a dystopian and futuristic theme that reminded me of Kurt Vonnegut because of its social commentary. In this book's case, there was criticism of how the US handled (and continues to handle) the COVID-19 pandemic. I loved the author's sarcastic tone and how the author highlights the importance of different professions during times of crisis especially artists. However, the poems were too experimental for my liking.

A creative and experimental and definitely-not-your-typical poetry collection. I appreciate what the author was going for with the absurd, sci-fi framing of the collection, I’m not sure if it really came together for me. The collection reads a bit like a series of speculative shorts in verse. Look into this one if you’re a fan of works that go outside of the box and get a little weird.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

In his sophomore collection, Kyle "Guante" Tran Myhre gives us poetry unlike you've ever seen it before- told in the form of an open mic on an alien planet, the author manages to hit home on so many issues we are currently dealing with on Earth in 2022.

Despite it not being comparable to most other poetry I find myself reading, I really enjoyed this one. It's not only a great poetry collection, but great abolitionist literature for anyone at any point in their journey as an abolitionist.

I appreciate the style and the brilliant writing- but this collection was not for me. However, the cover was eye-catching and the premise for this collection was unique.

A bunch of robots and humans have been exiled to the moon, and while they still have all their vocabulary from before, they can't remember anything else. Exploring past and present of life with other poets and imploring questions about the craft and meaning of it.
This book was sublime. A narrative poetry and discourse done right,
It was experimental and brilliantly done. Full Five star read.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I keep picking this sort of experimental poetry book hoping to find exactly this, which I finally, for the first time (obviously) did!
This was absolutely brilliant. It was fun, experimental, interesting and explored a diverse range of subjects that I was not expecting it to! Very unique and perfectly included some storytelling and illustrations in the mix.
Can't wait to buy a physical copy and annotate my thoughts. I really appreciate the fact that this exists and it became one of my favourites. This might not be for everyone but I do recommend you give it a chance!

Honestly, I enjoyed reading the book but it really just left my thoughts after I finished it. There wasn't anything that really captivated me and had me thinking after i was done with the book. It's a good book but it just lacks something.

This book is so many things that I'm finding it difficult to describe - it's poetry and narrative, it's playful and heavy, it's deeply tied to our current political and social moment while also being set on the moon at an undefined future time. What it most definitely is, without any caveats, is very, very good.

I have to honestly say this one was not for me. Maybe it just was the time, or the concept, but I just could not appreciate it in a way it deserved but I believe others would more than enjoy it.

Not a Lot of Reasons to Sing, But Enough chronicles the human Nary’s attempts to preserve the art and wisdom of the renowned robot poet Gyre before their death in an alternate, post-apocalyptic world. Made up of conversations, arguments, speeches, blessings, and reflections, this poetry book allows writers to reflect, grieve, and unpack through the various dialogues led by Nary, Gyre, and the legendary Hen March.

I love the concept, atmosphere, and ideas explored in this beautiful SFF poetry suite. It suspends disbelief while bringing long-hidden thoughts and feelings to the surface, and the poet achieves what he has set out to do in his note at the end of the book. Poetry here is brought back to its roots: a public assembly, an expression of the inner, a way to feel, and a statement of strength that goes beyond grandstanding.

Most importantly, I *love* the idea of poetry as a conversation between the past and the present, between the poet and their inspiration, and even between the memory and the ideal. Nary relives Gyre’s life through remembering his poetry; Hen March reaches within herself to express her tiredness and vision after the battle of the day. Though Nary tries to engage his sometimes unwilling audience in less-than-successful career talks and writing workshops—I also find it funny that this poetry book is also very meta in that it doubles as its own writing workshop—it is his steely resolve to keep writing even in the midst of personal insecurities that got me hooked to his speeches:

Poetry is translation. You take an emotion, an idea, a concept, and you turn it into an image, a memory, a story. You take a signal, and you build it a body. This is obvious—you already know that a message is generally more effective when it is wrapped up in a story.
But there is a deeper truth here. It isn’t just the specific metaphor that matters; it’s the mechanics of metaphor itself—being able to see something through some other thing. Understanding the connection, the conversation, between what is large and what is small, what is far away and what is close, what is you and what is not you. Too many do not.
—Wireless, It Might Scream

Sometimes, simply seeing the connection between the universal and the personal is poetry itself. On days when our writer souls are depleted, sometimes, the mere existence of the metaphor is enough.

This discourse does not stop with the personal. In most of the poems here, Nary and Gyre stand up to the gatekeepers of power and prestige with their art as their best—and often, their only—weapon. Through their poetry, they seek to interrogate and dismantle oppressive structures by first uncovering the farce and pomp, and then by turning to their listeners (and readers) in a bid to be lent more strength for the fight. This is best exemplified in one of my favorite pieces, the biting and satirical “The Role of the Artist in Times of Authoritarian Brutality: A Panel Discussion”, which is also made available to read on the author’s site.

However, I didn’t love it as much as I hoped mainly because the form, rhythm, and sound used in this book sound better suited as a stage production. By remaining solely on the printed page, the poetry lacks the music. It lacks the power. I often revisit Guante’s spoken word poetry to match his words to his sound, and I can’t help but feel excited when I picture this as an intimate off-Broadway production: the stage dressed in the hues of Hen March, the art on the playbill, the trembling power of poetry finally, FINALLY liberated from the prison of pages and into the hearts of people who will free their own. Better yet, a community play: a pool of resources that can enable local acting companies to produce this in their own theaters. Can you imagine how beautifully intimate and raw this production would be???? IMAGINE THE POTENTIAL! Changing the medium drastically changes the art, and that gap is keenly felt in Not Enough because many of the conventions of spoken word poetry do not translate effectively.

But while a stage production would be great, a book will do. While social gatherings are still limited and the elders have not yet gathered us for the assembly, we can let the blessings of Gyre, Nary, and their own elders ring loudly and clearly in our mental spaces. In the face of a world that is about to end, we need all the heart and strength we can get. As Guante reminds us, there are not a lot of reasons to sing, but we have enough.

"Don't be angry at a story because it isn't a map."
This poetry collection is a treasure. It's about finding courage to seek hope in people and it is done meticulously. Thanks to NetGalley and Button Poetry for the arc <3

Guante's poetry takes me back to that one time I went to the Nueva Onda cafe with my friends many years ago. One friend was active in the local poetry community, and while I did want to be supportive, I know I did a poor job of it. There was a big slam poetry presence there and it didn't speak to me. I didn't get it so I wrote it off. My relationship with poetry has changed over the years and while I still mostly consume it in its written form, I find my self loving spoken word and slam more and more.

When I told my friend that I'd received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, his response was that he was just looking at it on Button Poetry's website. I was already loving this book, but I found my friend's response encouraging and continued on.

This collection of poems sets out to redefine your view of what poetry is and assures you that you don't have to like poetry, and that maybe poetry just isn't what you've been taught. Poetry doesn't have to pretentious romantic rhymes. Anyone can enjoy it or write it. Or not.

Not a Lot of Reasons to Sing, but Enough tells a story through the memories of a robot recovered from a post-apocalyptic world. The format is unique and beautiful and a delight to read. I found myself rereading several passages and coming back to the illustrations that punctuate the collection over and over again. Guante hits on a lot of topic near and dear to my heart without being super direct and preachy. I'll be buying a copy for my shelf, and if you are even remotely interested in poetry, you should too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Read this book. Do it.

Reading "Not A Lot of Reasons to Sing, But Enough", Words by Kyle Tran Myhre and Art by Casper Pham, opened up my mind to a whole new genre of poetry. The sci-fi futuristic moon setting was mystical and the characters felt a little ancestral - like connected to me somehow. It was almost an epic search for cultural sanity gone awry. I was not aware it was hip hop style until I read the AMAZING afternotes - which I must admit were as inspiring to me as the quirky stories. The poems felt cool and sparse - and I loved the inspirations from the matriarchal elder.. There is no denying the impact of the COVID timeline on the themes in this poetic writing. I found the audiobook read by the author in his poetry slam style - 5 star!. Loved the art of the poems and the quirky almost medieval style drawings

Thank you to Button Publishing Inc. for the ARC I received in exchange for a fair review.