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Grinnell’s collection of twenty-five poems is the perfect read for those who feel that they are being held hostage by Corporate America. Grinnell himself calls the collection a “hate letter to Corporate America.” He explains in his introduction that the poems explore “the complex emotions” he felt while working in a toxic environment, something almost every reader has probably felt before. His prose is reminiscent of the Beat Generation—poetry that rebels against the conventions of mainstream American life.
Grinnell starts strong with his first poem, “The Propagandists,” where he does well at explaining his message. The words “We waste our best years elevating brands” are haunting. It is hard to pick the best piece out of this short collection, but if one could explain America’s workaholic frustrations perfectly, it might look a lot like “Life Sentence.” This third poem in the collection talks about how a person is literally trapped in their job. The poem explains how it's hard to change careers because if one wants a new job or to go back to school, it’s an endless cycle of not just the current job but debts and taking care of children.
Overall, the author's collection is well-written. Like any good poetry collection, it invokes all the right emotions and tells a story about its writer. The reader should be able to feel Grinnell’s anger and sadness. His message is loud and clear. At the end of the collection, Grinnell tells readers that the escape from Corporate America was not complete, but the new job culture is better. It’s a fate that people can’t escape because people need money to survive, but as Grinnell seems to explain, people shouldn't have to deal with toxic behavior for the dollar bill.