Sermons from the Smell of a Carcass Condemned to Begging

by Tony Medina and Tony Medina

Poetry. SERMONS FROM THE SMELL OF A CARCASS CONDEMNED TO BEGGING is a long poem, consisting of 96 sermons in the voice of a homeless persona or everyman named Broke. It is the first in a series, which includes PICTURES OF BROKE and BROKE ON ICE. Broke is in the tradition of Langston Hughes' Simple and Charlie Chaplin's Tramp, as well as Nicanor Parra's Christ of Elqui and Zbigniew Herbert's Mr. Cognito. (Author's Note) Those that murder me / say that...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0965473821
• ISBN13: 9780965473828
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Long Shot Productions
• Length: 114 Pages

Customer Reviews

Tony Medina brings humanity to the shadows.

These poems are moving in their eloquence. After reading the collection as a native New Yorker, I could not go back to the numbness that goes with encountering homelessness daily. Tony Medina reminds the desensitized that there is a human being with histories, families, loves and hatreds beneath the blanket in the doorway. Though the book is entitled "Sermons" it is not preachy; rather, it implores the reader to hear others' suffering and respond positively.

Hard-hitting poetry.

My name is Zazai Owens. I live in Detroit, Michigan and I am a senior at Wayne State University. My English class, headed by Professor Johnathon Scott, was assigned to read Sermons from the Smell of a Carcass Condemned to Begging. I thought that this book of poetry was hard-hitting, realistic, funny, scary and honest. Thanks to Tony Medina, he allowed myself and my classmates to realistically view homelessness on its basic level,which is loss of dignity and the bare neccessities of life granted to all people.

What does it mean to be Homeless

Toni Medina is very ARTISTIC. Throughout his book he does a wonderful job of breaking down expressing what it means to be homeless. Toni's poetry is very unique. Reading his poetry helped me to imagine what it would be like to be homeless. Toni does a wonderful job of showing how one can go from the having the best to nothing. The different ways in which he discussed homeless was very amazing. I admirred the way in which Toni analyze in depth what it means and feels like to be homeless eventhough he has not personally experienced this nightmare. This technique is what brought out the uniqueness and creativity of this book. Toni medina I have had the pleasure of reading your very ARTISTIC and POWERFUL poetry.

Outstanding Creativity and Uniqueness

Toni is a very powerful poet. Throughout his poetry he shows the world how a homeless person lives everyday. Toni made me realize that the smallest things that I take for granted everyday can totally change a homeless persons life in a major way. The very things people think about only when they are totally at the bottom, are the very things Toni describes as a luxury to the homeless. This book is very interesting and I strongly recommend it. A person such as myself needed to read this book to really understand how good I really have it. This book has helped me to appreciate life and what it has to offer simply by living it. For that reason I thank you MR.TONI MEDINA.

The ignorance of a man can result to the light of another

This book is a book the express only the REAL ideas and thoughts of one man, or maybe many. I say this because this book has opened my eyes to see through someone else eye's. Not just to feel sorrow or to feel guilt. To grow to an understanding of how distructive and hateful this world is. This book expresses the Real issues that are steadily being pushed under some rug, or shushed because of the embarrassment of some one that hasn't even been through any trials nor tribulations that would even allow their mines to accelerate to something as simple as """"CARING"""