English instructor Matt Guenette said, “These are not poems I would write now. They came out of my mid-20s. The voice isn’t my voice anymore,” in an earlier interview with The Clarion about his first book of poetry.

In his new book entitled “Vasectomania,” he explores the voice he has now, which is that of not only a poet, but of a father.

Guenette said being a parent has given him a new view about life. His new book provides widows into his life as a father. Since every parenting situation is unique, Guenette describes the poems as arising from the frustration of being a parent and having to work without a real guide.

He describes the experience of stepping on a Lego in the middle of the night, and how it seemed like his entire world narrowed to that one moment. For Guenette, the purpose of “Vasectomania” is to capture “moments of release; small moments that reflect how your life feels.” From moments of surreal parenthood, Guenette crafted “Vasectomania.”

Guenette credits his interest in poetry to the comedy performers of his youth: Steve Martin, Richard Pryor and George Carlin. Guenette said he was fascinated by the way they could put words together to create specific effects. Inspired by these comedians, Guenette developed what he describes as a “transgressive or subversive nature” in his writing.

He described a moment from his youth when he was in a tenth-grade class with other subversive students. He and his friends were writing a collaborative story that was both graphic and erotic in nature. His teacher, Mr. Carl, found the story and read it out loud to the class.

Due to the story’s controversial subject matter, Guenette recalls thinking, “This is it, I’m going to jail now.” However, after reading the story, Mr. Carl returned it. Guenette recalls him saying “At least you knuckleheads are writing.”

Since then, Guenette has continued writing throughout his life, and continued to subvert expectations with his poetry.
Guenette’s third book of poetry “Vasectomania” is now available now from the University of Akron Press.