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The Noise That Is Not You

The Noise That Is Not You
$15
(Sargent Press, 2012)
The most complete collection of poetry by Jesse Parent. The subject matter ranges from his children, to personal matters, to explorations of faith. There is comedy and tragedy and the shades of grey in between in this 94 page book. Cover art by Chris Bodily.

List of the poems in this book

Sample Poetry Performances

Items For Sale
Paperback Books
The Noise That Is Not You

Chapbooks (PDF Download)
Hit After Hit
To the Baby in My Belly (You Were Delicious)
Flattened Braille
Ink on Paper

Advanced Praise for Jesse Parent and The Noise That Is Not You

I still remember the moment I first heard and saw Jesse Parent perform. He was riveting, and he had such control over his voice and body, and in his writing. That's pretty much the trifecta in the poetry slam.

Taylor Mali
Author, 4-time National Poetry Slam Champion

Jesse Parent’s book is equal parts humor, sucker punch and bedtime story. Spoonful-o-sugar isn’t exactly his strategy. It’s more like, "This may sting, but here’s a pancake with that." I laughed outloud at least as many times as I nodded and hmm-ed. And never, ever does he sacrifice language for the easy chuckle; his craft is as deft as his wit. In short, this book is a delight. A smart, touching, hilarious delight.

Tara Hardy
Bringing Down the Chandeliers (Write Bloody, 2011)
Women of the World Poetry Slam finalist and 3-time Individual World Poetry Slam finalist

Parent's work is smart, fun and unflinching. Wrought from a sensibility that treats comic books and Bibles as sacred texts in the same breath, his is an unapologetically modern voice that doesn’t seek balance so much as every possible facet of an issue to manipulate to some nefarious end. His poetry twirls its moustache, winks over cereal bowls, and is otherwise a perfectly good roommate for the Ginsberg, Kunitz and Collins already on your shelf.

Scott Woods
We Over Here Now (Brick Cave Books, 2013)
Former President of Poetry Slam, Inc.

Hammer to rock, shovel to earth, ax to wood, Jesse Parent's poems work. Overtime. Father, husband, friend, brawler, Parent's poems illuminate the modern american male psyche, then dismantle it and build something new and much needed in its place. Funny, arresting, self deprecating, heart breaking, The Noise That Is Not You should be required reading for any dad, dad to be, or anybody thinking about being a dad.

Danny Solis
Father, poet, educator, organizer,
national and international poetry slam champion, poetry slam legend

Parent's attention to the manifold complexities of faith and fatherhood render the reader under his spell. He deftly shifts tone, one of the benchmarks of a strong writer and performer, to heighten tension while exposing deep-seated male vulnerabilities and placing himself firmly as the subject. The Noise That Is Not You stands as an unflinching self-portrait composed under the weight of the hardest truths and the brightest beauty.

Airea Dee Matthews
2-time Women of the World Poetry Slam Finalist,
University of Michigan 2013 MFA Candidate, Cave Canem Fellow, wife and mother of 4.

Jesse is a blue-collar poet. I say this, not to diminish what he writes, but to elevate it.

Jesse crafts poems like a carpenter: taking the rough & making it smooth, fitting pieces seamlessly into place, building with sweat & blood & passion, always letting the natural grain show through.

He writes poems that have dirt under their fingernails, that work hard all day & are glad to relax on the sofa when they get home, that cherish family (both genetic & chosen) above all else, that believe in who we are.

The Noise that is Not You is Jesse at his best & most honest. It what every poet should aspire to, poems that speak clearly, even when afraid. These are poems that will appeal to the day laborer & the day trader, the soccer mom & the fireman, the temp & the tattooist. Jesse speaks fluent Human.

Every person has a story to tell. Jesse tells those stories with honesty, passion, & love. What more could you want?

Bill MacMillan
Poetry slam legend and co-founder of Worcester Poets' Asylum

Jesse Parent delivers his work with a smile on his face that, no matter the subject of his work, finds its way onto the page, the microphone, and eventually into your heart. His work finds its reflection in you, making you one with the writing instantly.

Jesse and his work are the guy you see every Sunday at the grocery store that always smiles back at you, cracks a joke, and lets you skip ahead in line if you have fewer. His poems are family you haven’t seen in a while.

Ed Mabrey
Waiting for the Mail Train (Wordsmith Press, 2010),
3-time Individual World Poetry Slam champion

In my opinion, my dad is the best slam poet in the universe! He has really made me look on both sides of a topic, and express how I feel in an ok manner. He has also encouraged me to write poetry, slam poetry, and haiku. And I have started doing so. If you are reading this I hope you like my dad’s poetry as much as I do. Enjoy!

Jasmine Parent
Jesse’s 10 year old daughter (actually, 10 and a half)


Hit After Hit

Hit After Hit - eBook (PDF Format)
$5
(Independent, 2012)
Hit After Hit represents some of the author’s latest works that have helped to propel him to one of the most successful slam poets in the world. If by "world" you mean, "predominately English speaking North American nations." There's a lot about the author's kids in here, as well as religion and food. And some dirty haiku.

List of the poems in this book
Lazarus of Bethany
Moving Day
To the Boys Who May One Day Date My Daughter
Drama
Meat Eating Vegan
Kermit
Dandelions
Salt, Sugar, Fat
Legion
In Her Belly
Finding Jesus
Heirlooms
Lost Ballons
Yell
A few haiku

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To the Baby In My Belly (You Were Delicious)

To the Baby in My Belly (You Were Delicious) - eBook (PDF Format)
$5
(Independent, 2010)
To the Baby in My Belly (You Were Delicious) is a collection of poetry meant to combine theater and poetry and tap into the darker sections of the author's psyche. And there's a poop joke.

List of the poems in this book
Hooked Cross
The Addiction
Pez
Girls Don’t Poop
Sock Puppet
Zombies' Apocalypse
Girls Don’t Poop
Dysmorphia
Waiting for Your Turn
Guess My Name
Rock Biters
Love As a Weapon
Heavy Lids

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Flattened Braille

Flattened Braille - eBook (PDF Format)
$5
(Independent, 2008)
Flattened Braille is a collection of poetry meant to express the frustrations of a father and moderately political man. There is a lot of weird shit in this world, and enough is enough. This book contains Jesse's view of the world, we'll leave it up to you as to whether or not his mind's eye needs a prescription lense (Monocle + Brain = Brainicle!).

List of the poems in this book
Grounded from Age
I Miss You
Brawlers Know
Fred Fucking Phelps
Big Box
What If?
Silence
Catholic Schoolgirls

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Ink on Paper

Ink on Paper - eBook (PDF Format)
$5
(Independent, 2007)
Ink on Paper is a collection of poetry meant to express the joys and trials of life as a normal guy who has found suburbia and middle class, and is constantly adjusting his perspectives on where he's come from vs. where he is. There's a lot of silliness as well as self reflection, but one hopes it’s at least entertaining.

List of the poems in this book
No Greater Foe
Deaf and Dumb
The Typical Exchange – Part I
I Saw a Rainbow Today
Mommy
The Typical Exchange – Part II
The Non-Conformist Poem
Half Filled Future
The Mythology of Fatherhood
Gallows Humor

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© 2012 Jesse Parent