An exercise in stream of consciousness poetry, fifty pages of spontaneous thought examining the mind of the heart-broken angst-ridden poet. The strange and the bizarre, the heart-wrenching and the revealing.

An exercise in spontaneous thought, to write fifty pages of steady stream of consciousness to examine the mind of the poet and writer. Where its predecessor was more focused on poetry, this second attempt delves more into narrative and spontaneous storytelling, though still creeping into the dark and shaded corners of the broken heart.

Self-Abusive Musings, the second book by Canadian author Kevin McMaster is a collection of poetry that often delves into the darker side of human nature. Taking influence from such poets as Charles Bukowski and Leonard Cohen his work examines the powerful emotions of love and angst.

An accident in the wilderness. A woman lies dead. Fire and explosions. Twisted metal and broken branches. And blood. To awaken from the dream, or the nightmare, and not knowing which is which. Not knowing your part. Not knowing good from evil. Not knowing the unwashed from the clean. The devils and the beasts creep around you. But to hunt, or to welcome? Kieran finds himself lost in the frozen woods, his wife Katherine dead in the snow, the twisted remnants of his car ablaze in the trees, and a waste-howling wilderness all around him waiting to get at his cold flesh. But the treacherous terrain and the bitter cold blizzard winds aren't the only dangers awaiting him in the woods. Something hunts him. And he must struggle through his memories deciphering what's real and what is illusion if he is ever to discover the truth about the stranger Nero who appears in and out of the wilderness to torment him at every turn.

After being kicked off the bus for smoking pot in the bathroom, Michael finds himself stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do but kill some time. As he wanders around the half-deserted remains of an old mining town he comes across an abandoned amusement park, and four teenagers all dressed up in costume. Too many days on the road and too many puffs on the joint have left Michael clueless to the fact that it is actually Halloween. A fact that the vampire costumed Ricky is only too quick to point out. Then there's Matt, the sports jock clad in cowboy garb, and his prudish girlfriend Beth who is dressed rather uncomfortably in a French maid's outfit. But the one who catches Michael's eye immediately is Amber, dressed ever so sweetly in her Catholic school girl costume. And when the rundown funhouse provides little thrill, it is Amber that seductively entices the others to go and check out a real haunted house; a farmhouse she has heard about out beyond the marshes and long-rumored to be the home of many nefarious happenings. Along the way the kids argue about what exactly went on in that old farmhouse that left it haunted and full of mystery. Each one has their own theory, based of course on their own deep-seeded fears. And when they come upon some magic mushrooms that Michael discovers growing in some cow dung in a farmer's field, their fears and anxieties begin to take center stage. Reality comes into question. Fears turn into suspicion. And madness erupts all around them. Will they succumb to their deep down fears of the physical world or will their reverence of nature's beauty guide them through and safely see them reach the morning?

Following the exploits of a group of friends who live small lives and have even smaller ambitions, "Skids" is a window into their lives as they carry on into their early twenties, while still living very much like teenagers. Will any of them escape this downward spiral into mediocrity? And more importantly, do any of them want to? When drinking, partying and acting like a bunch of fools are your chief concerns in life is there really any reason to change? When happiness can be achieved simply by playing air guitar to a Judas Priest song is there any need for anything else? Maybe not. But then again, maybe this life isn't for everyone. So join in the fun as this group of lovable miscreants struggle through their mundane lives trying to accomplish their minuscule goals and having a blast all the while. Crank it up and grab a beer. Wee-hoo

The Song and Dance Begins tells the story of a tragic teenage love triangle through the use of lyrical poetry. Originally intended to be the lyrics for a concept album, a story that tells the dark decent into drug abuse, murder and suicide, the angst born of the broken heart of youth.

A collection of angst-driven poetry by Canadian author/songwriter/filmmaker Kevin McMaster. In the same vein as a Charles Bukowski or a Tom Waits, the author delves into the darker side of human nature exploring the depths of love and angst and the extreme emotions that follow them.