Wildcat Dreams in the Death Light (Paperback)

Wildcat Dreams in the Death Light is an incantatory work of narrative poetry. Infused with hobo melancholy, Jewish lore, bloodshed, and hilarity, this epic poem is nothing short of a contemporary masterpiece.

Set in 1910s America, Wildcat Dreams in the Death Light traces young Mort Sloman’s odyssey to honor his jockey uncle—the only dead man ever to have won a horse race. But before Mort can organize a worthy funeral, he must acquire “the Locksmith keys”—a form of esoteric knowledge beyond the understanding of even graybeard rabbis.

Undeterred, Mort sets out across the United States with a tree knife and a guitar in order to uncover this mystical secret. In the process, he joins a circus and falls in love with an acrobat. He navigates the dream-world. He witnesses the birth of cinema and the outbreak of World War I. He hops trains and dodges con men. With the help of Big Bill Haywood and the Wobblies, Mort unionizes his adopted family against an oppressive ringleader and his private detectives. And he sings his way out of danger more than once—always holding on to the promise of revelation and peace.

Relentless in its pace and cornpone in its sensibility, Wildcat Dreams in the Death Light depicts the complexity of America with a passion only possible through poetry. This is a work that begs regular rereadings and years of contemplation.

“... [a] beautiful multi-colored, multi-vocal, multi-sentimented tapestry... This is a very, very special book... It’s incredible that any human was able to pull off something like this in 2022. Do not deprive yourself of the experience of Wildcat Dreams in the Death Light.”

--Leaf by Leaf

“Wildcat Dreams in the Death Light is a magical romp around a tumbledown version of America. Sova’s imagination twirls and furls boisterous tales triggered by a ride on a stallion nicknamed ‘Sweet Kiss of Death.’ [This poem] is not made for the faint of heart.”

--Bob Nastanovich, musician in the bands Pavement and Silver Jews

“Stylistically assured, inventive, entertaining, Wildcat Dreams in the Death Light is that rare thing, a well-written narrative poem with a distinctive style creating an unforgettable story world.”

--Dr. Liam Guilar, Poetry Editor, The Brazen Head

“Reagan is an arresting singer/songwriter and an excellent overall wordsmith. He responds to the beat of a different drum -- and gives me hope for the future of our profession.”

--Larry “Ratso” Sloman, New York Times bestselling author, actor in Marty Supreme and Rolling Thunder A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese

“[Reagan M. Sova is] a sharp-shooting Lone Ranger of the literary underground.”

--David Alan Binder, writer and blogger