In an earlier incarnation, Max was a prolific writer of light verse and other poems. During Light Quarterly's years as a print magazine, his poems appeared under half a dozen names in addition to his own. His contributions included children's verse, parodies, political verse, translations from the Hungarian of Jozsef Romhanyi and Laszlo Feleki, excerpts from a novella-length poem, and two other long narrative poems, one of them serialized, as well as criticism, reviews, and comic prose.

His poems have also appeared, among other places, in Measure, The Formalist, Able Muse, and Cricket. For a time, he was an active contributor to the humor competitions of The Spectator, New Statesman, and other periodicals. Excerpts from his novella-length narrative poems Don Juan Finish'd and Seeing Things have been widely published. 

His book There Was a Young Girl from Verona: A Limerick Cycle Based on the Complete Dramatic Works of Shakespeare sold several copies.