RaveLibrary JournalNothing feels forced or imposed; always the poems feel like invitations to contemplate the moment, the truth, the magic of the actual ... A powerful, thoughtful collection of observations and contemplations; a beautiful and valuable addition to the world of poetry by one of its most inspiring writers.
Jorie Graham
RaveLibrary JournalGraham’s 15th collection is perhaps her finest and most profound work yet, revealing such astonishing individuality in the idiosyncratic, elliptical style she has perfected over more than 40 years ... Since the death of A.R. Ammons, no U.S. poet has demanded so much of her reader or offered so rich and mysterious a reward.
Sofia Samatar
RaveLibrary JournalVoluptuous with imagery and lush with language, this gorgeous memoir of travel and discovery is a perfect summer read ... This is not only a great book but also an important one. Not to be missed.
Jacques Berlinerblau
MixedLibrary JournalThe main value of this book may be simply in pointing toward an approach to Roth’s work through a #MeToo lens as well as that of Black Lives Matter. Problematic is Roth’s tendency toward meta-fiction; where does the fiction end and reality begin? In his analysis, Berlinerblau tries to explore this liminality, but to little affect. Instead, he makes assertions, then questions his own assertions, before finally dismissing them in a kind of miasma of meta-fiction and mystery. If only he had pressed into that difficulty with greater effort, he might have discovered something quite profound about the dwindling value of Roth’s work. Instead, readers are left with a brief book that somehow feels too long.
Gail Crowther
RaveLibrary Journal... compelling and extremely informative ... The focus is less on literary analysis than psychological and societal influences. Nevertheless, it is a thrilling read. Crowther skillfully walks readers through those inebriating early years when Plath and Sexton met as nervous young poets through their blossoming into major literary figures and into the darkness of their struggles with difficult marriages and depression. Offering a powerful and disturbing look into the forces that drive us to creativity and to our own destruction, with all its details of infidelities and hardships, cigarettes, and sorrows, this book leaves readers hungering for more of what these two literary comets burned with: the power of a little poetry ... Deliriously fast-paced and erudite, this is highly recommended for all literature, poetry, and women’s studies collections.
Edited by Joy Harjo
RaveLibrary JournalA celebration of literary riches, this first-of-its-kind anthology of Native American poetry is a great witness to the joy and power of verse ... Essential, and not just as a resource; this is amazing poetry.
J Alison Rosenblitt
RaveLibrary Journal... this fascinating study from Rosenblitt sheds new light on elements of [Cummings\'] life previously underexamined ... With grace and intelligence, Rosenblitt brings the worlds of Harvard, Cambridge, and \'the Front\' to vivid life. The horrors of gas warfare, mass slaughter, and syphilis linger as you turn the pages. The historical analysis is powerful and profound, yet Rosenblitt has her focus on much more than politics, battles, and mud. Reading Cummings through the lens of her insight is revelatory, and the brilliance of this work may reestablish his place as a poet of towering importance ... Placing Cummings in the context of the \'War Poets,\' Rosenblitt breathes new life back into poems too often anthologized and too little read. Highly recommended.
Mark Doty
MixedLibrary Journal... [a] sometimes startling mixture of memoir and literary criticism, providing an invigorating introduction to the continuing artistic value of Whitman’s output. This blend of the personal and critical appreciation, however, is stretched quite thin at times. Too often, Doty allows the focus on his own life and relations to distract from the greatness of his chosen master. One imagines Doty’s recounting of sexual experiences felt essential to him, perhaps mirroring Whitman’s un-blinkered celebration of life in all its manifest glory. And yet that is precisely where Doty’s cleanly crafted lyrical writing stumbles. Too often, the Whitman he celebrates is the egocentric theosophizer of appetites and urges, instead of a literary genius. As with Whitman, readers may be overwhelmed with Doty’s overabundance of imagery and intimate detail, but also (as with Whitman) audiences will find individual passages that can inspire, change, and sustain a life ... Despite its flaws, this important and very personal take on Whitman’s lasting influence as \'America’s Poet\' should be a worthwhile addition to libraries with strong poetry or LGBTQ collections.
Stephanie Burt
RaveLibrary JournalIf good criticism opens windows and lets light in, and great criticism sheds a light of its own, Burt...is a solar-powered 1,000-watt bulb ... With insight and expertise, Burt illuminates the shadowy corners of this mysterious art ... Periodically, this reader wished Burt would have taken a breath and let us appreciate what she\'s helped us see. And yet, her generosity, clarity, and open-hearted good sense triumph and may even draw in new readers to appreciate the skills of the literary critic ... A wonderful guide to a misunderstood art. Essential for all libraries.
Ha Jin
PositiveLibrary JournalA kind of hagiography that is both scholarly and emotionally engaging ... much of what [Jin] presents as fact feels merely speculative and ultimately the mythology holds this portrait together ... Libraries building Chinese literature collections will love this book. Essential for academic libraries and recommended for large poetry holdings.
Christian Wiman
RaveLibrary JournalThe chapters feel almost like prayerful contemplation, more than crafted essays. Each contains a poem by Wiman or one of the poets discussed. The author\'s thoughts on the poems are valuable, but even more fruitful are his memories of the poets. He shares these stories with grace and humility and leaves readers with a breathless sense of the revelatory ... A worthy companion to Wiman\'s wonderful My Bright Abyss, this belongs in libraries everywhere.
