Karri Kokko, MMVII (2008)

What’s in 600+ names? In MMVII, Karri Kokko takes one more step into what could be termed ”Analytical Conceptualism” -– each of the book’s 365 poems consisting of a listing of names of people the poet met in that particular day of the year 2007. MMVII offers an exploration into the phenomenology and dynamics of naming, identity, communality, and networking. At the same time, mirroring more than 60 poetry events, mostly in Helsinki and elsewhere in Finland, the book forms an intriguing subjective-objective account of the current Finnish Poetry Revival the poet himself is so much part of. Defying translation, yet readable also to those challenged in Finnish, and complete with a comprehensive Index, this is your ultimate User’s Guide into the poetics of everyday and quotidian.