In his second book, Rolnicki settles into a new life of hedonism after leaving his first career at the age of 33, getting drunk for the first time at 34, and becoming a bartender at 35. What follows is four years of blistering, cyclical indulgence in women, whiskey, and dance, in a collection of confessional works both towering and provocative.
Along the way, Rolnicki continues to examine themes from his first book, Second Adolescence, through explorations of artistry, identity, and staying alive, often in the company of elusive muses and otherworldly characters like Madame Galaxy, The Missing Sister, and Amira the Engineer.
The Repeated Hedonist is for anyone fascinated by starting over, or exploring pleasure as the purpose of life. It also helps if you like cheap rum.
"But few contemporaries capture the pain, joy, and confusion of parting with a loved one as well as Austin (Texas) poet Rolnicki, who charts his emotional roller-coaster ride through this series of lyrical prose poems. While his debut collection, Second Adolescence (2022), reflected on an impulsive cross-country move that upended his life, these new poems interrogate what it's like to live with yourself and your flaws once the dust has settled"
-Kirkus Reviews
"Discursive as well as declamatory, and often showy, The Repeated Hedonist presents a whole personality. What is really a single extended poem, the book is prismatic as it variously exhibits different facets of the beauty and ugliness it conceals"
-Independent Book Review
"Joe Rolnicki's inventive poetry collection The Repeated Hedonist links serious self-reflection with rakish misadventures. Whether considering drunken debaucheries, romantic heartbreaks, or the necessity of sobriety, these poems gather the details of a diverse life with melodic humor and empathy."
-Clarion Review
