Filled with a nervy, desperate energy, the poems of Joseph Gartrell could be considered love poems, but they don't seem to be written to a specific person: rather, they speak of the anxiety and need of an everyman trying to attract an everywoman, in a way that is both recognizably profound and instantly hilarious. They illuminate the journey of loving another, and show it as a reflection of the journey toward self-love.
Joseph says, "I'm trying to become more than just a slapstick comedian. I just graduated from Ohio State and am finally accepting that I'll never play second base for the Cubs or even the Devil Rays. Here's a good bit; I'm friends with the poet Stephanie Rogers. She helps me with my line breaking, and when at bars, she helps me get rid of my pesky money."
Joseph's works here at Unlikely Stories are:
2003:
Motherless Mama's Boy
Just Turned 16: The Waif's In The Kitchen With His Girlfriend And He's In Love
If This, Then That