Border Sounds: Poems & Dispatches from Other Timezones

Kim's poetry is worldly and globally connected, yet so intimate. Through his poetry, we are there with him during his personal life experiences in a host of foreign countries, reliving the most amazing encounters. Kim's visual and sensory imagery makes me a fellow traveler throughout his journeys. This collection is to be read and reread.

Kim Peter Kovac is an accomplished poet and the beauty and truth of his travel experiences in this book are exquisitely rendered. His writing provokes joy and curiosity. It is a nourishing read, in one sitting or to dip in and out of and revisit, especially for these times when perspective and a reminder of the worlds outside our walls can bring a pause from our own situations.

Kim Peter Kovac’s new book “Border Sounds: Poems and Dispatches from Other Timezones” is a fascinating chronicle, mostly in the form of poems, of the people and places encountered in his extensive travels. The author takes us everywhere from South Africa to Azerbaijan, and introduces us to some interesting characters, including a man who may or may not have guarded Nelson Mandela, an SUV driver in Baku yearning for cultural understanding and sympathy, and a children’s book author with anger issues. In addition, Kovac addresses some more general topics, including struggles with the creative process in “Word-Flashlight”, the passing of a parent in “Vodka Blessing” and a one-paragraph summation of world religion in ”A Skeptic Reconsiders”. Kovac’s background as a theater professional places his stories in an interesting light, and a good deal of the travels described in Border Sounds were for the benefit of children, art and education. But I think what impressed me the most was the universality of these stories. In so beautifully describing these people and places, you can’t help but recall the people and places in your own life, and the impressions, both big and small, that they’ve made on your journey. I guess that’s what a good poet does: puts into words what we can only feel in out hearts. This book came into my life at the perfect time and I highly recommend it.

This is a delightful set of poems and stories: smart, funny, loving, and curious. About geography, certainly: borders, sites, maps, scapes, and tours. And history: ancient, modern, political, and personal. But I most appreciated the sense of artistic journey. Not just the travels of an artist, but a long journey from one artist to another to another, a series of creative encounters. And lots of music, food, animals, and trickster gods, too, of course.

Inspired by real life world travel, this collection is as eclectic and as rich as those places around the world. The various forms are created to meet the needs of the individual poems. A current of spiritual traveler runs through Border Sounds. It's personal and specific with every day details, but also taps into the epic of The Myth-Hunter. All this and a sense of humor with titles like Improbable Cacti.