These poems reflect a wide range of interests in my life and work. In many ways they share a public and private persona; both evocative and in some cases provocative view of life in our time.
The early work is lighter and more whimsical in nature while the later work shares a darker view of reality. Some of the poems are meant to be seen on the page as artworks in themselves; others are meant to be read.
Some of the references are musical Mozart, Paganini, Berlioz, Joplin; others reflect and project other writers Poe, Melville, and artists like Van Gogh.
Music has had a profound impact on my life and my writing reveals this in creative and interesting ways, I hope. Some of the works were written quickly, others revised over a longer period of time. I will always be grateful for the early encouragement of staff at the Newark Library, the editors at Co-Tech & Newscribes for publishing much of this work.
Edward Bond, Olympia Dukakis and Leo Buscaglia also encouraged me to keep writing. I must also acknowledge my parents and family who gave me a chance to complete this work.
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Davidson Garrett, Union Member of 3 unions, July 21, 2005, 
Organized Labor
Organized Labor by Daniel P. Quinn is a wonderful book of poems. His language is very specific and his images powerful. There are poems that evoke old New York and also poems that address recent issues we face today in the world since 9/11. Most of all the poems capture the daily struggle of a man who is coming to terms with who he is by his sensitive observations of past and present influences and by the humor of everyday life.
Also recommended: The Complete Poems of Marianne Moore and Poems For the Millenium edited by Jerome Rothenberg
David Messineo (Messineo@concentric.net), Publisher of Sensations magazine.
January 25, 2005, Organized Labor rates attention.
organized labor: collected poems, January 18, 2005 Reviewer: David Messineo (Glen Ridge, NJ) - See all my reviews organized labor is an ambitious first collection by Daniel P. Quinn, which covers four generations of American and family history, from the birth of his grandmother in NYC in 1887 to the fall of the Twin Towers in 2001. Like much of the poetry in this 46-page volume, the book''''s title has multiple allusions: from poems that deal with the organized labor movement in America (most notably, the 1913 strike of 20,000 Paterson silk workers at Botto House in Haledon, NJ), to the labor of organizing--and reconciling--past and present (captured eloquently in the title poem, ''''Organized Labor''''), to even the labor of preparing one''''s poetry for publication. Part I contains 17 poems of personal reflection from 1977 to 1998, including poems about Edgar Allan Poe and his Bronx cottage (''''Poetry in Transformation''''); soul-draining office work (''''x-mas greetings on oppression!''''); opera (''''Omaggio''''); and art and politics in the Reagan years (''''re: public rhetoric''''), including these lines: Remember: magic tricks & cowboys,/the Wild West, riding off into the sunset/while joking about RR. You can hear the silence of Art./And look at the price tags for VanGogh,/Now, that he''''s art & dead. The composers, painters, authors, and historic figures who influenced the author''''s life are paid homage in Part I. In the first 25 pages, August Strindberg and F. Scott Fitzgerald are quoted, and Poe, Mozart, VanGogh, T.S. Eliot, Berlioz, Paganini, Gurnemanz, Parsifal, Medea, Maria (Callas), and Verdi are cited in various poems. ''''Fill in the b ank'''' and ''''Fragments'''' capture ''''a solitary voice against the ocean''''--often the feeling of those who make a career out of creating art, in contrast to those who make a career out of making money: Moving against/the waves.//As your legs are pulled and pushed,/You feel/the process/of the struggle/between/nature and man. Part II, containing six poems, opens with a narrative poem on the 1913 Paterson workers'''' strike. Later, in ''''New York Trilogy,'''' Daniel reflects on a photograph (reproduced in the book) of his great-grandfather as a manager of the Landmark Tavern, circa 1900. ''''NY Trilogy III'''' evoked the spirit of Stephane Mallarme in its use of text placement as a visual element, creating a
organized labor has been followed by Mr. Quinn's new book Exits & Entrances. (2007) Quinn’s writing has appeared in Performing Arts Journal; The Herald News, Theatre Journal and The Italian Tribune. His play FANGS TO RICHES was presented at the Harold Clurman Theatre in NYC.
Mr. Quinn also produced and directed the U.S. Premiere of Edward Bond’s play STONE, a well received revival of Sophocles rarely produced tragedy THE WOMEN OF TRACHIS, the World Premiere of Daniel Gabriel’s SACCO & VANZETTI, the collage piece MIXED VOICES at the Art Awareness Festival and Edward Bond’s DEREK (U.S. Premiere) at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre, Lincoln Center.
At the Irish Arts Center he produced Janet Noble’s AWAY ALONE, Graham Reid’s REMEMBRANCE, and a revival of A COUPLE OF BLAGUARDS by Frank and Malachy McCourt, among other works. His published letters have appeared in The New York Times, The Star-Ledger, Other Stages and Keynote magazine.
Poetry in Transformation.
I’ve been to Baltimore,
and to the Bronx.
I’ve seen your cottage
as an outsider looking in.
I’ve read some of your books,
and hear your name.
I can see you:
dead
in the gutter.
This is in homage to you:
POE
A
Tree.
It might be useless,
But I do think of you for support,
In the same way you could not
support yourself,
While swaying to support me.
Invocation
When our hands
Touch
I am excited
But hide I
my feelings
for you.
IMAGE:
Writing
on sexuality
And
baited breath
As tongue
in cheek
Dream,
do I
of you.
Do such words
evoke passion
or cliche ?
In a world
Such as ours
Adrift
Berift
F
A
L
L
I
N
G
Out of line
And syncopation
I struggle
Escaping from madness
Not as in
ironic counterpoint
or metaphor
But rather
as decision
when
I turn away
And rely
on reason
Rather
than thoughts
of touching
you. (1981)
