With roots in myth and fairy tales, and branches that weave a tangle of hope and horror, Paul Genega brings us
                   "tales
                        to tell and tell and retell until
                   the telling itself is all you own
                   the only truth worth telling
                   the only truth you know - "
His luminous language and deft use of rhythm and rhyme bring us into a very real contemporary world in which gods, princes and witches stride beside us, enticing us to leapup and join them. It is ''as if dreams could sprout wings."
                                                                                     Beth Joselow
                                             Author of Begin at Once and Writing Without the Muse

Paul Genega's Outtakes puts the reader on a great journey. You need to be ready to take this journey, as Genega's road is not paved with gold; rather, it is a pot-holed turnpike, probably somewhere in New Jersey, late night and full of traffic with wise-assed drivers who'd rather give you the finger as they speed by than wave you into their lane with all the pleasantries. In Outtakes, there are no free passes, so fasten the seat belt, put your hands on the steering wheel, and let Genega's poems take you around the construction and over a stream as asliver of sun appears atop the mountains somewhere upstate New York ... Outtakes is a standout collection of Genega's work spanning five decades. It puts Genega in his rightful place as one of Americas most significant poets.
                                                                                 Paul Rabinowitz
                                                                Founder and Executive Director, ARTS By The People
                                                  Author of truth, love and the lines in between and The Clay Urn

Salmon Poetry, 2023, 164pp   salmonpoetry.com

Outtakes

Paul Genega's poems shed light on the failures of America, the glitz and promise that exist only for a few. In this harsh reality, some lose themselves in perceived failings; others,regardless of race, immigrant status, or sexual preference, live boldly, making their way. In their expert range from lyric to narrative, in the astute way they layer history with the present, and in the way they chronicle the longing and heartache of the lived American experience, Outtakes reveals a brilliant poetic mind at work. This is a captivating book.
                                                                                         Priscilla Orr
                                                                      Author of Jugglers & Tides and Losing the Horizon