‘BTC’ Omaha Poet Michael Catherwood’s Dare Explores Paradoxes in Powerful Collection

March 18th, 2025

Michael Catherwood’s Dare, a poetry collection published in 2006 by Backwaters Press (now an imprint of the University of Nebraska), is a journey through contradictions. The book, reviewed by Dr. Todd Robinson of UNO’s Writer’s Workshop on Between Two Covers for KVNO’s Arts Today, is a study in contrasts, blending narrative and lyric, autobiography and portrait, formal and free verse.

In his opening poem, “Dust,” Catherwood captures the tension between the fleeting and the eternal:

“Nothing
can detain my disintegration
as it fractures and queues up
in gas station bathrooms,
blows out the car window
and divides into barbs of light.”

Robinson notes that Catherwood’s work defies categorization — a blend of lament, prayer, elegy, and painting all at once. The poem’s paradoxical nature sets the stage for the rest of the collection, where dissonance often mirrors reality itself.

One standout poem, “In the Big City,” opens abruptly in the middle of a sentence, mirroring the chaos of urban life:

“And I need the noise, plenty of it
to keep me blessed: roars of motorcycles
at three AM, shouts and gunfire
from the next rented room.”

The poem’s high energy contrasts with moments of stillness in Catherwood’s work, proving that silence can be just as vibrant as noise. Catherwood’s ability to capture both the violence and the subtle beauty of life is a hallmark of the collection.

“Trespassers” explores the ghostly remnants of an abandoned farm, describing a maple tree “reaching out from a brick silo / where it scores the sky’s soft face.” Here, Catherwood evokes a haunting sense of time’s passage, as the past lingers like a sculpture “leaning / into pasture” — a perfect example of his vivid, tactile imagery.

Catherwood’s poems are more than just words on paper; they are immersive experiences, combining action and reflection, personal memory and universal observation. Whether describing a storm in Oklahoma or a scene in a Ponca Hills biker bar, Catherwood captures the essence of the moment with rich detail and profound emotional depth.

In the final poem of Dare, Catherwood reflects on the tension between expectation and reality, as he writes:

“I grab the neck like a hammer and pour.
The ice cracks inside my head. It pops
under my feet. The glass is full now
and the sweet familiar smell cuts
to my stomach. I gag and consider pouring
it down the sink. I’ve seen that in the movies.
I’m not in the movies.”

Robinson concludes, “Michael Catherwood’s Dare is, dare I say, better than movies.” His control over tone, combined with his unique ability to blend sincerity and ambiguity, makes this collection a standout work in contemporary poetry.

This is Dr. Todd Robinson with the UNO Writer’s Workshop, reviewing Dare by Michael Catherwood, here on KVNO’s Arts Today.