by Anthony Perconti
in Issue 91. August 2019
2019
I first heard of Adam Bolivar in the wonderful Clark Ashton Smith documentary, The Emperor of Dreams. Prior to watching this documentary, it was unbeknownst to me that in California, there is a long standing tradition of poets producing works in the Romantic style. George Sterling, active during the first few decades of the 20th Century produced the Romantic masterpiece, “A Wine of Wizardry”, followed in spirit by Smith’s 1920 epic, “The Hashish Eater; Or The Apocalypse Of Evil”. Later in the century, Donald Sidney Fryer would take up the mantle and continue to produce works in the tradition that Sterling and Smith laid the foundations of previously. The current iteration of West Coast Romanticism lies with a group of like minded poets, calling itself the Crimson Circle. This collective includes Ashley Dioses, K.A. Opperman, David Myers and Adam Bolivar. While all of these poets follow in the footsteps of these previously mentioned writers from California’s past, utilizing and manipulating imagery both fantastic and horrific, Adam Bolivar’s creative approach diverges somewhat from his peers. It seems as though Bolivar has single-handedly (at least as far as I can tell), brought back into circulation the story form of the poetic ballad. It is my understanding that Bolivar works in this form exclusively. This brings me to his 2017 inaugural collection from Hippocampus Press, entitled The Lay of Old Hex. Taken from a structural standpoint, this book is a hybrid of sorts; an amalgamation of prose fiction coupled with poetic ballads. Let me make an admission. I am not the biggest fan of poetry. To clarify that statement a bit, generally speaking, the style of free verse poetry does nothing for me. I have always been a fan of more structured works of verse; creators such as Edgar Allan Poe, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and to a lesser degree, Clark Ashton Smith all utilized a formal structure in their poems. Structure is specifically what Bolivar brings to the table; it is the armature that supports the clay. But, The Lay of Old Hex is much more than that. Between these covers, not only will you find formal verse that sings, you will also discover some of the finest examples of weird fiction shorts of the last decade. And so much more; to pigeonhole this work as merely weird fiction is to diminish it. This book combines several influences including Arthurian myth, Lovecraft’s Dreamlands, classic quest narratives, Manly Wade Wellman’s John the Balladeer, various heroic and roguish archetypes, English and Appalachian folk tales and always lurking in the periphery, ready to make a deal, in his various guises, Old Scratch himself.
The ballads and stories found within The Lay of Old Hex are centered upon the figure (or more specifically figures) of Jack. This character is derived from the English version of the trickster folk hero, who generally speaking is not a virtuous character when compared to say the likes King Arthur. Often times, Jack is described as lazy, with an eye towards the ladies. As trickster characters often do, they win the day through the use of quick wits, cunning and usually a sharp and pointed dose of violence. Think of the Jack character as a less ambitious British version of Odysseus. In England, there is a long tradition of tales starring this trickster hero, the most well known being the childhood fairytale “Jack and the Beanstalk” or as it is alternately known, “Jack the Giant Killer”. These tales were disseminated during the 18th and 19th Centuries primarily through the medium of chapbooks. Before the advent of radio, television, comic books and even the pulps, these chapbooks were thin volumes (sold in the streets by chapmen) containing thrilling, fantastic and lurid tales. Basically, cheap, disposable entertainments tailor made for the masses. These tales eventually found their way across the Atlantic and mutated over time upon countless retellings. This is the inherent nature of folk tales; they change according to the whims of the audience and the teller, thereby creating variations in these yarns based on regional differences.
Bolivar has taken this trickster folk hero and put his own unique spin on the concept; an exploration of several types fantastic fiction by means of a hybrid of ballad poetry and prose. The Lay of Old Hex is a long form, multi generational story concerning the adventures of Jack (of the clan Drake) as he travels to various realms and encounters the Weird and supernatural. As the novel progresses (and time passes), the reader learns that the appellation of ‘Jack’ is passed down through the generations not as a common family name per say (although in some cases it is), but much like a title. The individual holding the moniker of Jack, always has essential components affiliated with them. The Silver Key is the first artifact linked to the name. The key is essential in that, it functions as a portal to the Land of Nod, or, as Bolivar states it, Dreame. “Ye Silver Key slid in its lock, Which Jack turned with aplomb, And stepped across the threshold where To Dreame he would succumb.”(p.233) The Silver Key was utilized by the H.P. Lovecraft protagonist, Randolph Carter as a way to access the Dreamlands after losing the ability to enter at will. The estate of Ettinfell, the House of Drake, the house that Jack built, that is situated north of Hexham Town is also a constant in the Jack persona while the third aspect is that of a relationship with a woman. Each successive heir to the name is inexorably linked with that of a female; sometimes as an adversary (see Tamsin from “The Hexham Horror”) but much of the time as a lover and husband. Each member of the Drake family, who is a ‘Jack’ down through the generations, is linked to this trichotomy. Much like Michael Moorcock’s concept of the Eternal Champion, Bolivar’s character is a timeless figure; a Jack will always enter into the breach, with his three hereditary symbols and venture into the wide world, ever intertwined with supernatural forces.
The myriad adventures that Bolivar pens for his Jack character(s) are excursions into the Weird and act as wondrous quest narratives. In “The Lay of Jackson Drake”, Jackson matches wits with Lucifer while traversing the Nine Gates of Hell. In “Jack the Hunter”, John Drake while in the wilds, has a run in with the succubus Salome. The Weird Balladeer, the author’s homage to Wellman’s John the Balladeer, recounts how King Arthur offered Jack the job of slaying the man eating giant Blunderbore in “Jack and the Giants”. While in “The Ballad of Harold Gloom”, Bolivar takes a cue from poet Robert Browning (“Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”) and infuses his character of Childe Harold as the hero. One of my personal favorites in this collection is the Rhysling Award winning “The Rime of the Eldritch Mariner”. This is an obvious nod to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in which a nameless narrator (presumably a Jack?) at a wedding feast recounts his encounter with a Great Old One. “So now I’ve told my loathsome tale In hopes my soul to shrive; And yet I fear I will be cursed As long as I’m alive. Water, water everywhere, Cthulhu dreams below; R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn; This blasphemy I know.”(p.312)
Hippocampus Press is to be commended for its production standards. This book is printed on hefty grade paper that feels solid in your hands. Also included in this volume are twenty one wood cuts restored by Dan Sauer. These illustrations lend an old timey charm that is a perfect accompaniment to Bolivar’s highly lyrical prose; taken in total, this book is an aesthetic showpiece that will grace any reader’s bookshelf. Due to the modular nature of the ballads, a reader can dip in and out of this book at their leisure, each poem can be enjoyed on its own merits, but sequential reading has its rewards as well. The Lay of Old Hex is a perfect book for the fantasy fan that wants to try something different. Many of the standard fantasy tropes are accounted for in this collection; roguish protagonists, elements of the supernatural and the Weird, quest narratives and monsters to be dispatched. But in Bolivar’s highly capable hands, these tropes take on a fresh perspective due to his unique presentation. Follow Jack on his eternal adventures in the realm of Dreame. Or in the words of Jack; “But go ahead and spin your yarn, For fables are my joy.”(p.314)
Hippocampus Press
https://www.hippocampuspress.com/
“The Rime of the Eldritch Mariner” by Adam Bolivar (from Bolivar’s website)
http://adambolivar.com/bibliography/rime.html
Romantic Poets of California:
“A Wine of Wizardry” by George Sterling
http://alangullette.com/lit/sterling/awow.htm
“The Hashish Eater; Or The Apocalypse Of Evil” by Clark Ashton Smith
http://www.eldritchdark.com/writings/poetry/572/the-hashish-eater–or–the-apocalypse-of-evil
Clark Ashton Smith: The Emperor of Dreams (Documentary) https://www.hippocampuspress.com/clark-ashton-smith/documentary/clark-ashton-smith-the-emperor-of-dreams-dvd
https://www.amazon.com/Clark-Ashton-Smith-Emperor-Dreams/dp/B07JG77LW4
©August 2019, Anthony Perconti
Anthony Perconti‘s lives and works in the hinterlands of New Jersey with his wife and kids. He enjoys good stories across many different genres and mediums.