A Dead Man, Either Way

John Sweet writes about the tragedies of life with a sharp knife, cutting through the hypocrisy of the times we live in. Within his words, there is a terrible, haunting and disturbing - but above all, honest.

• Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal

John has been a mainstay small press poet for as long as I can remember his voice ringing out, prevalent and relevant, exposing contemporary political, social, economic and personal issues for what they truly are.

John’s style is vivid, clear and edgy, pulling no punches, telling it like it is, reminding us that certain actions, behaviors, and ideologies are never acceptable and that we need to be better than we are if we expect to survive beyond today with any modicum of fair-play, decency, honor, and self-respect. He expresses what needs to be expressed.

This special book contains many of John’s best poems, vivid, sculpted perfectly, precisely, leaping off the pages, no ambiguity or agnosticism, no equivocation here. John is not only a poet but also a prophet. I am always enlightened and engaged, sometimes amused and amazed when I read his poems. You will be too. There is no mistaking it: John Sweet is the real deal.

• Michael Estabrook