This follow up book to Red Dirt Revival is an intense look at the world around this author--and the reader! Once again Mr. West's book form is a mix of poetry and prose and it blasts the reader with honesty and truth. When I first read Red Dirt Revival, I was reminded of Toomer's "Cane". Where Jean Toomer used poetry to bridge the prose in "Cane", Mr. West flips that structure and uses the prose to imbue his voice to his poetry. In "Flirting", he uses the prose to connect the reader to the new poetry. Some hard, some lyrical, the words demand the reader look and listen. The section, "Flirting....with politcs" is an extremely strong voice to the current idiocy in our country's foreign and domestic policies. I recently re-read Ralph Ellison's 1981 introduction to a reprinting of "Invisible Man". It was Ellison's first introduction to the novel--36 years after he wrote "Invisible Man". He notes how important the connection of art and democracy is to our society. Mr. West's new book is exactly what he was talking about in this introduction. The poem, "pre-occupation propaganda", is an amazing piece of work in this section. Mr. West's voice just keeps getting stronger and stronger. This book is a must read!

Tim'm West pulls you through every aspect of relationships(friend,family,self,lovers) we challenge ourselves with...incredibly insightful he sees beyond the surface, digs deep into himself, and allows himself to become vulnerable to you with his thoughts, words, and energy...speaking in truths and emotion he opens the door to each lesson he has learned in becoming the man he is today ...raw, unconventional,humorous, strong,..allow yourself a peek into his mind and mastery or words

Leo Shelton
If you truly believe in flirting and where it leads, of the powerful connections it has through people and words, gestures and such…then fall in love all over again with Tim’m West and Red Dirt Publishing’s latest release. True to tone, tongue and unselfish sharing of unique, deep and sometimes painful life journeys of the heart, Tim’m doesn’t disappoint in Flirting.

I’ve always thought of flirting as an art-form, a wonderful, wholesome, sometimes almost dangerous dance of human spirits and connections, and I ran a hot bath, pushed play on the DVD and seated my naked body in bubbles that hugged, and I never stopped reading except occasionally to warm the water. Through a flirt with the truths that define, redefine, or even line us up with our respective places in life, Tim’m explores family connections, the kids who he has touched (and in turn have touched him), his connect and disconnect with being his fathers son but his own man, and his mothers boy but his fathers boy too, and he flirts with women and girls, men and the world, marriage and even gender roles and love, the way we all individually and deeply define, but sometimes never have the words to express or the voice to share. I became a naked soul smiling, laughing and snapping at yahoo blues, and full and empty all at once. The laments of breaths had me holding on, breathing deeply, and I became fragile, like red dirt, wondering what do I call this, and how my sum total would add up…and then, just then, a love ritual was defined. Flirting is a powerful connection, and I’m in love all over again.

If you haven’t journeyed with this poignant writer through Red Dirt Revivals and Blakkboy Blue(s) or seen him live at Front Porch or in collaboration with Brave Soul Collective or Deep Dickolletive, your soul hasn’t really been moved. Discover or rediscover a very raw and incredible talent! An incredible read from an author, poet, activist and artist whose work is molded out of the best of life stuff that we can all swallow up.