Zone of Silence - by Dario Beniquez (Paperback)

About the Book

This engaging collection transports readers into the neo-surrealism of the "visitation zones" of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

Book Synopsis

Zone of Silence, Poetry Collection by Dario Beniquez

Here is a poetry collection that defies genre. Lyric and prose poems unite to confront the angst of contemporary life, space, war, theology, antibodies, economics, and love. Dario Beniquez's poetic voice speaks uniquely to city, societal, and international concerns. Reading the collection one finds oneself in the inter and intra dimensions of space, tragedy, and gladness. This engaging collection transports readers into the neo-surrealism of the "visitation zones" of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The only way to escape from the zone of silence is through unlocking the keys and locks embedded in the voice of these poems. Enjoy this blissful journey if you dare.

Review Quotes

Dario Beniquez's poems beckon us during a pivotal moment in the world's history. His poems mirror current surreal experiences that test and taunt the reality of human life. Beniquez commiserates with us, not necessarily guiding us, so much as providing companionship in an increasingly bewildering world. His poems confront existence, exposing a vulnerability that validates both meaningful and meaningless moments of life-they test and love the world at once. Like the protagonist in his poem, "Undisclosed Location" Beniquez translates "unreal to the real" grounding us as the world spins on testing our experience. Zone of Silence is anything but silence. Beniquez is the voice we need now to give us solace, and the work we will need in the future to understand the humanity of these uncertain times.

-Claudia R. Guerra, editor, of 300 Years of San Antonio and Bexar County

In his poetry collection, Zone of Silence, Dario Beniquez sees his poems as a painter. He spreads his colors across a broad canvas, drawing images that are different from each other but blend well together. In "Who can Saves us Now?," he touches on the Mayan legend of worry dolls that absorb our worries, while "Brooks Air Force Base, 9/11" is a personal vignette about the 2001 terrorist attacks. Other poems deal with ghosts, PTSD, and aliens, leading readers to imaginative excursions, inviting them to consider new ideas. Beniquez's background shines through with his sprinkling of scientific language in his collection. Zone of Silence will appeal definitely to everyone!

-Gil Dominguez, author of They Answered the Call: Latinos in the Vietnam War