Two-Face God
I Can Explain
Finishing Line Press, 2012
"In Jason McCall’s I Can Explain, comic books and consumerism collide in a poetic world that is as heartbreaking as it is clever. These poems cut to the quick with a wit that is razor sharp, but McCall’s humanity and honesty give I Can Explain the staying power of an unforgettable book." -Mia Leonin
"How often do we change who we were: from men to husbands, women to mothers, the shortening of our names, our signatures looped and slanted slightly different with each scribble. In Jason McCall's I Can Explain, we can see these shifts in identity: children become superheroes, heroes put glasses on to have some semblance of normalcy. McCall assumes the role of Dick Whitman with the confidence and bravado of Don Draper--perfectly stylized and polished, yet brutally honest: the tipping of a drink to toast a good year, yet the desire to wear secrets of anger, loss, and love like a cape for all to see. In this collection lies a warning: Despite strength, there is weakness: the great cities fall, even Odin can be tricked & a new name is not
always easy to hold on to." -Brian Oliu
"How often do we change who we were: from men to husbands, women to mothers, the shortening of our names, our signatures looped and slanted slightly different with each scribble. In Jason McCall's I Can Explain, we can see these shifts in identity: children become superheroes, heroes put glasses on to have some semblance of normalcy. McCall assumes the role of Dick Whitman with the confidence and bravado of Don Draper--perfectly stylized and polished, yet brutally honest: the tipping of a drink to toast a good year, yet the desire to wear secrets of anger, loss, and love like a cape for all to see. In this collection lies a warning: Despite strength, there is weakness: the great cities fall, even Odin can be tricked & a new name is not
always easy to hold on to." -Brian Oliu