Up North by Neal Zirn

Balancing his esoteric knowledge and real-life experience, Neal Zirn fashions stories and poems that inform and surprise, explore and amuse. His work is like a geometric twist on German Expressionism, seeking lasting change for society and humanity. It’s vivid, filled with powerful images; and it moves, leaving the reader almost out of breath. So, fill your lungs, and read on.

–John Berbrich (BoneWorld Publishing)

Neal Zirn’s poems and recollections are visually breathtaking, combining exquisite imagery with intimate storytelling. A consummate artist, his words are woven into a spellbinding tapestry that engages the reader at every turn.

–CoLabART–Lynn Small & Dennis Paul

Neal Zirn’s work demonstrates attention to line breaks and imagery. The enjambments stretch the language to extra dimensions of meaning and the concrete details build a sturdy foundation for the poems’ emotional heft. Zirn is indeed a fine poet.

–Tom Zimmerman, Editor, The Big Windows Review

You are drawn into Neal Zirn’s poetry with the first line. His style is clean and accessible and the stories unfold. The poems are infused with the big city (the Bronx). The stories seem simple, but the emotions around the stories are more complex. And sometimes at the end there is a twist- things are not what they seem.

–Mike Hampton– Artist/Painter