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Review by Mike Maggio Euclid Creek, by Michael Ceraolo, is a journey into the geological, social and historical development of the Euclid Creek Reservation, a part of the Cleveland Metroparks system. Divided into six sections, the book chronicles Euclid Creek from its earliest pre-historic past, and slowly and methodically narrates its settlement by Native Americans, the coming of and eventual takeover by the European colonists, the rise of industrialism and the entrepreneurial magnates of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the urban decay that followed and the concomitant rise of poverty and finally the current cycle of gentrification and redevelopment which now threatens the area. Euclid Creek is well-researched and filled with facts and observations beginning with the very first line: “The land around Euclid Creek was born/about one-point-one billion years ago.” Such detail, while perhaps bordering on hyperbole, runs throughout the book, providing the reader with a fascinating overview of the area and its history and serving as a jumping point to explore social issues such as racism, poverty and the inequities of Capitalism. Ceraolo approaches his work from a socialist perspective and through honest and compelling analyses documents the injustices caused by colonization, slavery, the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few and poverty. With nature as its backdrop and serving as its main metaphor, we are taken through the history of Euclid Creek and its people: The history of life is written in these rocks, written of course not by humans (we have already seen the small scratchings humans put there) And then, as if these rocks and their “small scratchings” contain significant revelation, we have this almost biblical passage: All hail John D. Rockefeller! Glory to Goodrich and Goodyear and the rest of the rubber barons Written in a loose, prose-like style, Euclid Creek blurs the distinction between prose and poetry, making the book easily accessible to those who might not otherwise read a book of verse. The line breaks are haphazard, almost unintentional, and the language is unadorned and prosaic. One wonders whether this style is intentional on the part of the author, making it a book for the masses and deliberately avoiding the high art of the high-brows, or if it simply suffers from the lack of a more skillful editor. Certainly the many typos evident throughout the book and the comments at the beginning pointing to problems with pagination and inadequate space for its sweeping, Whitmanesque line lengths indicate that this work in part suffers from a less than diligent publisher. Still, for those who are interested in social development and commentary and for those in Cleveland and its surroundings who are interested in local history, this book will hold great appeal. Read an excerpt from this book opens in new window About the Author Michael Ceraolo has been writing for almost 25 years and has had numerous poems published in magazines across the country and the world. He is the author of Cleveland Haiku, from Green Panda Press. This is his first full-length book. Praise for the Author "The way Michael Ceraolo uses word spacing and form lends a great deal of innovation to...his writings. It’s always delightful to read the way Ceraolo delivers his perspectives on life." Janet Kuypers Scars Publications and Design  |
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