In “The Usefulness of Hippopotamus,” Tomeo draws from personal experience during the pandemic and cancer treatment to explore how humor and ordinary life can offer comfort during uncertain times.
-- There are books that try to inspire readers with sweeping life lessons and dramatic revelations. Vincent J. Tomeo takes a different approach. In his latest poetry collection, “The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times,” he turns his attention to the smaller parts of life, the passing thoughts, awkward moments, bits of humor and everyday encounters that people often forget almost as quickly as they happen.
For Tomeo, those moments became especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when daily life suddenly felt quieter, slower and far more uncertain. At the same time, he was dealing with a personal health battle after being diagnosed with bladder cancer. Writing gradually became less about creating poetry for publication and more about preserving a sense of balance while the world around him felt unpredictable.
Instead of focusing entirely on fear or hardship, Tomeo found himself paying closer attention to the things that still brought him comfort. Sometimes it was humor. Sometimes it was routine. Other times it was simply noticing something strange, funny or unexpectedly beautiful on an ordinary day.
Those reflections eventually became the foundation for “The Usefulness of Hippopotamus.”
The collection is filled with short, approachable poems that mix with personal reflection. Tomeo’s writing style stays conversational throughout, avoiding the dense or overly abstract language that can sometimes make poetry feel distant to casual readers. The poems move naturally between humor and vulnerability, often capturing emotions in ways that feel spontaneous rather than overly polished.
“One cannot imagine a world without humor,” Tomeo writes in the collection. “Without humor, the world will be dark, cold, and a sad place, tragically lacking joy, cheerfulness, and laughter. Humor is medicine. During rough times, humor will help lighten and lessen physical and mental anxiety.”
That belief runs through the entire book. Humor, in Tomeo’s view, is not a distraction from reality. It is part of how people survive difficult experiences without allowing those experiences to completely define them.
Many of the poems reflect the emotional atmosphere people experienced during the pandemic years, isolation, uncertainty and the struggle to maintain optimism while life felt disrupted. Yet the collection rarely feels heavy. Even in moments where sadness or anxiety appear, the tone remains warm and grounded.
Readers have connected with that honesty. In an Amazon review, one reader named Diana described the collection as “delightful, lighthearted, and surprisingly profound,” adding that the poems blend humor and hope in a way that feels “refreshing and human.” She wrote that the collection reminded her that laughter still has value, even during life’s most difficult moments.
Another reader, Amy K., praised Tomeo’s ability to uncover “beauty and joy in challenging circumstances,” noting that the poems remain engaging and accessible while still carrying emotional depth.
For Tomeo, the collection reflects a mindset he developed during recovery: life does not suddenly stop containing beauty simply because difficult things happen. Moments of fear and moments of joy often exist side by side. The poems in “The Usefulness of Hippopotamus” are built around that understanding.
Rather than trying to provide answers or dramatic declarations, Tomeo’s work encourages readers to notice the things they might normally overlook — a passing interaction, a random thought, a brief laugh in the middle of an exhausting day. In his view, those moments matter more than people sometimes realize.
“The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times” is available through major online retailers, including Amazon, as well as through the author’s official website and select booksellers.
About the Author
Vincent J. Tomeo is a poet, archivist, historian and community activist. He has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His work has appeared in the The New York Times, Evening Street Review, Comstock Review, Mid-America Poetry Review, EDGZ, Spires, Tiger’s Eye, By Line and Mudfish, among other publications.
About Olympus Story House
Olympus Story House works with independent authors to support publishing, promotion and audience outreach efforts across regional and national markets.
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