Authors Books

This book features some excellent beat writers and includes informative blurbs on their history and style. Each artist has a little chunk of their writing for you to sample, and the material is everything from stories to letters to classically bad prose.

What impressed me were the essays by each other, on the actual generation hype.

"Young people seemed more intense, clutching, and I couldn't help feeling they took themselves too seriously... 'good, clean fun' appeared to be a thing of the past. Or perhaps the aura of suspicion and defensiveness was merely a reflection of my own fears..." --Carylon Cassady

It's a great book for deciding which authors you want to read more of.

This reader is a good overall introduction to beat literature. While I could have done with a few more examples of writing from the women in the movement, that probably would not have kept the book as "portable" as its title promises.

An absolute wonder, a perfect selection of Beat writings: Poems, fragments of novels, essays, history, mythology, philosophy... The Portable Beat Reader is one of the most essential books in my collection and rarely leaves my side. And it is, thankfully, portable, and much easier than bringing everything with you all the time. Aquire it, open it, and just start reading.

Simply put, this is what I turn to when I need inspiration for reading, for creating, for anything. It combines wonderful bios of everyone from Kerouac to Bob Dylan, and their poems, book excerpts, and lyrics galore. Absolutely enjoyable, absolutely essential. Thank god for Ann Charters.

After riding the whirlwind of On The Road and Howl, many readers will acquire an appetite for Beat literature that will lead them to this book. Ann Charters serves up some of the best pieces of Beat Literature in this anthology. However, some inclusions, such as excerpts from On The Road, could be considered sacrilege, as the texts were never meant to be cut up, and suffer as a result. The Bob Dylan lyrics included by Charters indicate that she was no Dylan scholar, as other tracks would have been more suitable. However, with inclusions such as Neal Cassady's letters, William S. Burroughs adventure narratives, and the lesser known Beat poetry, this anthology is indispensable.

I saw 2 of Chekhov's plays in college and I honestly don't remember them. Glenn Close appeared in one I remember, but beyond that I was obviously distracted. Nothing could have prepared me for the perfection of these stories. I have never read a collection that had such an impact. Chekhov's clear-eyed world view peers at tiny physical details in the lives of the characters to see into their souls. They are tragic heroes in common clothes.

Chekhov looks on without judgment. His attitude is humane and liberal. No matter how foolish his subjects, his attitude is never condescending.

I hadn't realized it until I finished Pevear's forward, but Chekhov begins to slip subtly into stream of consciousness in several stories. This and many other innovations make Chekhov a pivotal figure in fiction writing. He is certainly under appreciated at present.

(I can't compare it, of course, but the P&V translation is another gift.)

Anton Chekhov is largely known for his plays (The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya), but he is also widely regarded as a master of the short story. However to fully appreciate these stories the reader should be somewhat familiar with the state of fiction in Russia during the last half of the 19th century as well as social and political conditions in the country at that time. Some knowledge of Chekhov's personal history and his philosophy of life is also helpful. Lacking these insights one is likely to find these stories to be excessively negative and depressing.

One difficulty in reading this book of his best short stories is that the first few (50 pages or so) are unrelentingly depressing; death and unrequited love being the main themes and they are told in Chekhov's spare style. A Boring Story is a longer and more interesting piece. It includes some aspects of Chekhov's philosophy, and while it ends on another depressing note, there is still an element of hope present. Ward No. 6 is perhaps the best of these stories, as well as the longest. It tells of a hospital in Siberia with a ward for mental patients. The story centers around a doctor (Andrei Yefichmych), a decent and compassionate man who gradually descends to the depths of the place. Along the way he has an interesting exchange with a mental patient, Ivan Dmitrich. The doctor suggests that one can be happy anywhere, even trapped in a prison, and cites the example of the Greek philosopher Diogenes who so distained material things that he lived in a barrel. The patient disagrees strongly, shouting, "I love life, I love it passionately!" He adds, tellingly, that maybe Diogenes would not have been so happy if he had had to live in a barrel in the wintry cold of Siberia!

The other stories in the book treat of a variety of people and situations from all walks of Russian life. While despair and a sense of hopeless fatalism remains the main thrust of many of these stories, there is also an element of hope present. Chekov keeps coming back to the idea that the future will be better. Some stories, such as Anna on the Neck, even have an element of humor. The last story, The Fiancée, perhaps sums up Chekhov's view of Russian life. In this tale a young woman living in a small town becomes engaged to a local man. A guest from the city, Sasha, starts to talk with her about how empty her life will be if she marries this man. Gradually she begins to come to this realization and in the end leaves to move to St. Petersburg to have "a new, expansive, spacious life, and that life, still unclear, full of mysteries, lured and beckoned to her."

I have given Chekov a rating of 4 stars, rather than 5, because, compared to Guy de Maupassant and O. Henry, his stories do not sufficiently express the full range of human emotions. Both of the latter masters of the short story infuse their work with humor and even broad satire and this is the stuff of life as well as the dreary world that Chekov inhabits. Yet maybe Chekov is reflecting the reality of Russia in his time. In any case these stories are well worth reading.

There are no better short stories than those of Anton Chekov. He wrote characterizations that resonate across the years and across cultures. Chekov takes you deep into these people's lives and struggles so that the reader feels a very definite strong connection with these characters that populate pre-revolutionary Russia. Short on plot and yet each story is satisfying and memorable. Some , Ward 6 is an example ,are masterpieces of the short story form.

Excellent translation and stories that you can read and enjoy again and again for years. You can't go wrong here.

This is the first series of works that I have read by Chekhov. I wanted to read some of his shorter works before beginning reading his novels. Now that I realize how much I enjoy his stlye, which I think other people will like as well, I am looking forward to reading his larger works. I very much liked the insight into the Russian culture.

Chekhov simply astonishes. "The Lady with the Little Dog," one of his most famous stories, is rendered splendidly by Pevar and Volokhonsky. I don't know of any other writer who captures the confusion, fear and excitement of romantic love as well as Chekhov does here. The last line is perfect.

John Domini has done it again. When I first discovered Domini's books (see Bedlam, Highway Trade, etc.), I became a die-hard fan. His recent novel has won me over again. Domini writes with clarity and tooth: his characters so alive, they practically emanate from the page, springing from one adventure to another. The book is true to its title, chronicling the adventures of the protagonist Kit, who upholds the written word, as a writer /owner of an independent rag that outs the heinous political undercurrents of that era. Domini captures this with wit, excellent research, intrigue and as always, astounding character development. This author is a tour de force of the written word and a celebration to the field of literature. Bravo!

The 70s may be the most misunderstood decade of the 20th Century. While most people would prefer to not try and understand the 70s, cracking jokes about polyester leisure suits and disco dance lessons, John Domini is not ashamed of the culture of that time. And if nothing else, this book is a reminder of what we shouldn't forget about the 70s. Certainly the punk movement of that time should be remarked upon even if David Byrne rode on the New Wave from the basement bathroom of CBs in NY to stardom while Joey Ramone stayed true to the form. But perhaps that's Domini's point. His main character often asks via an ongoing newspaper story in his head, "How can a punk be a success?" Maybe a punk has to be a success to have an effect on the culture. Perhaps David Byrne was on to something. Domini's character, Kit Viddich, channels Hamlet and Odysseus throughout the story as if to say this moment in time, this story, this punk artifact will too last through time. In other words it will be added to the culture, even if it is just words, words, words.

And in the most brilliant aspect of the work, Domini channels the maestro, Marshall McLuhan, pairing David Byrne's band, the Talking Heads, with the message itself of the Talking Head. Certainly the 70s didn't invent the newsreporter but it was in the 70s that the newsreporter turned into the talking head: the news interpretor, the god of the media, the ever yakking, ever usurper of the print media.

Which leads us to one final artifact of the 70s that should not be forgotten: the alternative newspaper. Again, not invented in the 70s, but certainly legitimized therein. Our modern zine culture is a testament to alternatives born in the decade after the 60s when so many idealists were left empty-handed and asking what now? They knew what the truth was, had seen what could be from those hippy-dippy days, and we weren't tired yet as so many others were. They weren't ready to accept the superficiality that turned out for the 80s. They weren't all leisure suit-wearing disco ducks after all. And political corruption was still rampant.

If nothing else this book is an American story complete with happy ending. Against all odds and frankly good sense, the good guy remains steadfast against the corporate giant. He doesn't accept the bribe, he doesn't fold, he doesn't give in. Whether or not he wins is not really the point; the fact that he remains is what's important. Corporate and political greed will always be with us. As long as we have our little heroes slogging it out in their independent and under-funded press against those Goliaths, we can feel we're on the right track. For in the end it is the story of the individual that is important. As long as we don't lose our integrity, we have a happy ending.

Domini's book doesn't insult intelligence, so please don't read this book if you lack a sense of humor, reality, sensuality, or common sense because this experimental novel is just that: about the senses. Sometimes the reader becomes as lost and confused about the world and moral obligation as Kit, fumbling through each scene with new light and revelations. This book of senses unfolds, layer upon layer of Kit's, his wife's, hard emotions and what to do with life and it's decisions and consequences. The split-screen effect of Domoni's style with Kit's thoughts doesn't distract, it adds to that confusion that everyone in life must face...just not as much as the characters in this rich book of characters.

Perhaps it is the language of this novel that elevates it above the level of mere crime drama. Domini juxtaposes elements of noirish intrigue with retro-hipness to create the tense story of Kit Viddich's struggle of ethos in a dark world of corporate and government conspiracy and negligence.

The best part of this book is the many allusions to Shakespeare's Hamlet, partiuclarly one of Domini's choruses, borrowed from Act II, scene ii: "Words, words, words..."

I loved this book because of the really cool and modern writing style. Domini uses a "split screen" technique to give you the main characters thoughts and plans for turning his experience into an article for his independent newspaper. the characters use an almost stylized dialogue -- one minute Kit and his wife soundlike a 1940's film and the next the newspaper staff is talking like the hippest underground punkers the late seventies/early eighties had to offer. Very cool. All the characters have secrets and adgendas. It's a great read that is literary and experimental.

If you've read any of Harold Jaffe's writing at all, you know he writes with tremendous heart and devotion to his cause. Certainly this heart manifests itself in angry textual roadside bombs and subversive attacks, but the underlying cause is a nobel and brave one. A devoted fan of Jaffe's work, I find myself impressed with his precision and relentless social critique. In "Mother Palestine," Jaffe tweaks a familiar formal innovation, an unsituated dialogue, by simply employing the device of motherhood. The effect is stunningly effective, it pulls us into the politics of this remote struggle through a minimalist suggestion of intimate human relationships that every reader will respond to, on one level or another. It is an example of Jaffe exploring the range of textual methods and structures he has been using now for well over a decade. "Revolt Wives" is another important inclusion here--it suggest a humanistic compassion for all who suffer at the hands of the oppressive ruling class, not just the muslims who suffer. In that regard, especially considering how the book can be received, Jaffe's work remains so very important as expression of what a growing portion of the US population is feeling--a contempt for our (our=corporate war machine whether US or Israeli or otherwise) punishment of innocents abroad and at home in the name of profit and sweet crude. Incidentally, and sadly, I think the populace's disagreement with the war machine would be much better contained if gas were still $1.50 a gallon, but that's another story. "Mustache" is also wonderful, and especially important as it seems whatever party is in power, the deference to Israel is reliable and unwavering. Hate to be a self-hating half-Jew, but man it is a bummer to witness the recurring atrocities that happen under the blind eye of US-Israeli relations. And the way the US is treating Hammas after they won the (clean) democratic election--what the heck is that? It is a despicable time, and Jaffe's recording of absurdities such as the orange alert, atrocities such as the corpse wagging of Hussein's sons, is another important accomplishment in his long and committed carreer.

In "Trader Joes" Jaffe introduces the notion of a forgotten, non-threatening and invisible young Arab woman--a victim of the violence--and then echoes that figure in later texts. Of all the texts here, I will reread "Sewage" first, as I love the neatness of the way the three threads work together. Unfortunately, the caustic patriotic violent interrogator is most familiar to me, but the alignment with the ineffective water treatment plant and the compassionate cop is direct, useful, and does what Jaffe does so well--recontextualizes reality in ways that reveal ugly truths.

One final comment: Jaffe resurrects "Things To Do in Time of War," a story he first published in Straight Razor, which came out during the first Gulf War. The first version of the story was located inside the home, and it had a particular delirium to it. This version of the story is located in the workplace, on the freeway with other commuters, and it has has much less delirium and far more ingrained horror. In the nearly ten years that have transpired between these two installments of the same story, Harold Jaffe has shown his readers how committed writing works, how the indefatiguable machinery of corporate-government policy and "morality" can be challenged with anger and precision. More than that, he keeps hope alilve for those of us who believe that culture is not merely a marketplace for the hegemony of the ruling class. His next book is expected to be a collection of his essays and docufictions directed at writers who wish to join him in the project of textual rebellion against the status quo. It could not be a more timely and appropriate move from a writer who has inspired so many devoted readers despite the marginalization that mainstream publishers and distributors may have imposed on him during his career. So long as Jaffe keeps publishing books, committed writers will know that that there is a future for the voice of outrage and indignation. Guerrilla writing is alive and well and you can find it in the pages of Terror-Dot-Gov.

An extraordinary network of vignettes dervied from newspapers and on-line "news" sources. Jaffe has coined the phrase "docufictions" to describe his cunning deconstructions of what passes for objective data.

The result is something like postmodern America re-seen, or--beter--seen for the first time with a distressing clarity.

Brilliant.

With Terror-Dot-Gov, Harold Jaffe demonstrates he has the eye of a prognosticator. In his fictions (called "docufictions" because they're so accurate) he dramatizes how -- and why -- America is destroying itself and how -- and why -- it's taking a sizeable portion of the world with it.

The signs and portents are all presented and interpreted: heads severed for justice and sport; attack dogs sinking their teeth into the flesh of innocents; Baghdad treatment plants for processing raw (feces) and cooked (prisoners) sewage; and players in the game of "who would you bomb?"

I don't mean to imply that it's a grim book. On the contrary, it's humorous -- ironic and satirical without trivializing its subjects. And why not? As long as we're determined to act like neo-lemmings we might as well laugh as we plunge over the cliff!

"Harold Jaffe brainwashes a drug fetus to the guerrilla=sex in the 21st century." - Kenji Siratori, author Blood Electric

To read Harold Jaffe's pieces as a commentary on or critique of the war on terrorism is to under-read him, as Beckett was misread as being "symbolic" or Swift as a fantasist. Just as Swift made an ostensible target of the Irish in his "Modest Proposal" while actually targeting the bigotry of the English, so too does Jaffe construct a triadic argument. The ostensible target this time may be the war on terror, but the true target hiding behind the straw man is the reader. Jaffe reveals imbedded assumptions in the language of these docufictions and in so doing betrays the lack of objectivity in news texts and reports as we receive them. He points his pen at us and shows us how complicitous we have been in committing the atrocities he describes. We may revile the media's displays of violence and feign shock, but we are always willing to stand in line to pay the price of admission. In "Behead," for example, the beheading of Brent Marshall is described as not going very smoothly "because of Marshall's exceptionally thick neck." Thus the brutality of the slaying is blamed on Marshall, a Virginia "thick-neck" of the type we have learned to feel less compassion for over the years because a thick neck represents a "dumb jock," "a red neck," "a hick." "Big as an ox" means "dumb as an ox," as we conflate clichés to get there. In "Pizza Cannibal," one character says, "I just couldn't believe this guy [Salt Brumley] could have done something to bring out the feds." Brumley is described as a "homely bachelor" with "stick-out ears, large flat feet, cleft palate, and low IQ," and the first three attributes are taken as personality issues: people with stick-out ears and large flat feet are routinely made fun of as being "stupid" in our society (see Li'l Abner), and are generally considered too "simple" to be harmful. In the same story, Jaffe challenges us liberals to look at our own smug intellectual superiority--would we who uphold that what goes on between consenting adults in the privacy of their bedrooms is perfectly acceptable include mutually agreed-upon murder and cannibalism? Or are we liberal only up to a point? What point? Why? Caveat Emptor? The dialogue in "Trader Joe's" contains pure consumer speak. Where would conversations go nowadays without consumerism? Would we have anything to say to one another if we lost our retail chains and baseball scores? Even references to Pinochet and suicide bombs are dropped into conversations because of their impact on Chilean wines and Home Depot. My favorite of these docufictions, the one that really got me involved, is "White Terror." This is presented as a game, with the key refrain being, "Who would you bomb in that one?" Scenarios are given to us, such as how one of Queen Elizabeth's corgis was bitten by a terrier belonging to the daughter. Who would you bomb? The respondent is told the dogs are named Raj and Dottie, but even after knowing which dog was which, the respondent still assumes that Raj was the terrier. He assumes the violent one has the Eastern name. Assumptions such as these are at the heart of the book. Jaffe challenges the reader with disquieting juxtapositions and multiple versions of the same story. "Which is true?" we might ask. Can we ever know, even if we are "told" by media or government that one version is true? Of course not--all we get is filtered versions whose points of view and choices of diction reveal deep-seated biases. Look, for example, at the different descriptions of a group of dogs in the six alternate versions of a canine attack in "Revolt Wives." The dogs are described as a "lumpen," a "Gestapo," a "kasbah," a "death row," a "Bentustan," a "Gaza" of frenzied dogs--each term, of course, associated with death and abuse but carrying with it so many different connotations that they alternate versions of the scenarios are immediatley colored by that word choice. This is Jaffe's brilliance: he shows us how language has been used against us as a weapon, and he challenges us to wake up to that fact.

Tramp for the lord is an eye opener for you to look at where you are, where you have been and where you are going. A good read for those moving through life and a must read for those that want to celebrate life to it's fullest.

If you read this book you will NEVER forget it. Such wonderful testimony to the miracles that the Lord is still doing in the world. I highly recommend it. It's a real page turner.

Tramp for the Lord is ONE of the most rewarding books I have ever read in my life. Everyone should read this book. She too was a human who sinned and came short of the glory of God. Corrie shares so much of her heart and life - not only because of her experiences in prison, but in every day life as she traveled the United States and to other countries to share God's work. As she experienced real life situations with ordinary people, that grew her daily in her walk with God, because as Paul learned, God's work was not easy. It was those situations that she shared in "Tramp for the Lord" that she was also growing with each situation she faced as Paul did as he continued in his day discipling for God. Corrie's book, "Tramp for the Lord," is a must read after "the Hiding Place" and will be hard to put down.

This book is a sequel to "The Hiding Place" a biography about Corrie Ten Boom's experience during World War II, arrested and sent to a German concentration camp for hiding Jews.

Corrie surrenders to God's Will for her life to take the Gospel and her story to the entire world. Because of her humbleness, she is able to connect to people from all walks of life, from royalty to prisoners. She was especially able to connect with prisoners who were hopeless because of her own experience of being locked up.

It was easy for her to minister to the victims of WWII, but Corrie resisted going back to Germany, the land that she dreaded. But she obeys and goes to Germany where she meets one of her former prison guards, one of the cruelest, walking up to her after a meeting. A chill grips her heart and bitterness wells up when he asks for her forgiveness. Leaning on the power of the Holy Spirit, she was able to forgive her enemy and found God's love overflowing.

Each chapter is a story and devotional about a situation Corrie encounters. My favorite one is, "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go, Dear Lord... but Not Up Ten Flights of Stairs."

An excerpt of this book might say it all (from Chapter 5)...

"A great ocean separated me from my homeland. I had no money. Nobody wanted to hear my lectures. All I had was an inner word from God that He was guiding me. Was it enough? All I could do was press on--and on--and on--for His Name's sake. Before going to sleep I opened my Bible, my constant companion. My eyes fell on a verse from the Psalms, "The Lord taketh pleasure...in those that hope in His mercy" (147:11). It was a thin web--a tiny filament--stretching from heaven to my little room on 190th Street in New York. I fell asleep holding on to it with all my strength."

Oh, what a joy to learn that God is for us and not against us! I highly recommend this book.

Just ordered this and awaiting it anxiously. I have just finished two later collections The Hill Bachelors and Cheating at Canasta (the title story in the latter is heartbreaking and just a perfect piece of writing). I also immediatley ran out and bought After Rain and A Bit on the Side. I had overlooked Trevor for years. I now fully acknowledge that in doing so; I deserve to be tried for crimes against humanity! Being from Ireland and living here, I also live with the constant knowledge that Trevor is a god and part of the literary furniture. Somehow, strangely, I just took him for granted and never read him. I had also wrongly assumed that Trevor belonged to that somewhat stuffy Irish "big house novel" literary tradition (if one can call it that). By chance, I picked up The Hill Bachelors and have found literary salvation! He is utterly brilliant and consistently so. 12 collections and counting. Nearly every collection consists of 12 stories, each about 20/22 pages long, divided in to 5 or 6 scenes. His structure is so simple and within it he performs miracles, over and over again. It is also wonderful how his stories alternate between a story set in Ireland and a story set in England, the country that he has lived in since his 30s. I adore short stories and all the great North American and Irish writers in the genre: Hemingway, Carver, Wolff, Munro, Joyce and McGahern. But I think Trevor is now my literary hero - plus he's a first rate gentleman (not always so with literary geniuses). Although now 80 let's hope for a new collection from the master in about 2010 and God help him, maybe more after that.

If you enjoy consummate skill in the written word you will treasure this book. It is the most beautifully crafted collection of short stories I have ever encountered. The characters are powerful, endearing, heartbreaking, loving, loathsome, self centered, generous, and sometimes frightening - the scope of this work is breathtaking. It is unfortunate that a book perfect for "dipping into" is so large and heavy - a reissue in rice paper would halve both (The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918 has 1166 pages and fits quite comfortably in a coat pocket!) William Trevor is a genius - if you buy his book you will not be disappointed. Dr Peter J Kirby.

It took me a couple of months to make my way through these 85 stories and it was definitely worth the time I spent with them. Trevor's prose is always simple and clear, yet his range of characters and plots is astonishing because of their superbly captured detail and variety. Most of these stories deal with Irish and English characters, and many swirl around the realities or possibilities of extramarital affairs. "In Isfahan," one of Trevor's best stories, a married middle-aged man carries on an impromptu affair with a young woman he meets while in Iran; in "Lovers of Their Time," another top-notch story, a married man carries on a long-term affair with a shop girl by meeting her in a hotel's second-floor public bathroom. Trevor is also quite adept of presenting the romantic yearnings of women. In "The Ballroom of Romance," a country girl's dreams and consequences are highlighted in her trips to the local dance hall; in "Afternoon Dancing," a middle-aged married woman dallies with the idea of an affair with her dance partner after the death of her close friend. Like Chekhov, to whom Trevor is often compared, this writer also has an admirable sense of comedy. "Mulvhill's Memorial" finds an unlikely pornographic set-up within an office; "The Trinity" has a couple booking a vacation to Venice and ending up in Switzerland. Accidents spiral out of control in "The Penthouse Apartment," and in "A Complicated Nature," a man is forced to help his upstairs neighbor when her suitor unexpectedly dies. Another one of the best stories of this collection is "Broken Homes," where an elderly woman suffers the indignities of having her kitchen painted by a team of indifferent youths. Other first-rate stories include "The Smoke Trees of San Pietro," where a boy's sickness propels his mother into an affair, and "Death in Jerusalem" where a mother dies while on vacation.

Someone else here refers to the problems of 'star' hyperbole. He's right. The five stars Trevor deserves must be especially large and dazzling.
He goes wrong, just a little, once in a while. So did every truly great writer we know. Most of the time he opens a door on the world of two or three people, and shows us the universe in the process. He is a breathtaking artist. Witness 'Another Christmas' - in a dingy living room and armed with no one but an aging Irish couple, he brings home the Troubles in Ireland in epic, heartbreaking scope. And 'Torridge'...a girl said to me when this story first appeared in The New Yorker that it was like Beethoven's Fifth; you can't imagine it not having been around before. It's that good.
Readers! You can do no better than to get to know what this man can do with a pen.

Had never heard of the guy - got it at a bookstore because it had 1200 pages (I needed a lot to read) and because it was written by an old guy (well, he's old now, at least - well- wrinkled but kind looking). So far I'm about a third of the way through it, but like everyone else has said, this book is great. Some writers get lazy and write the same story over and over. Not this guy - every character, every situation is unique. For people who like movies, read the one about Istafan and compare it to "Lost in Translation". The story about the swingers party is indescribably great also, just in the way he describes a man kissing a woman's hair or them barely dancing at all.

This is a deeply personal, moving account of one man coming to terms with his wife's illness and her eventual death. His poetry is deeply affecting, beautiful, and poignant. I highly recommend this for anyone.

This book is considered to be one of the greatest poetic accomplishments in American history. Read it with a box of tissues.

I heard Donald Hall read passages of Whitman's Leaves of Grass at the 2005 National Book Festival on the Mall in DC. I knew nothing of him, his work, or his love of Jane Kenyon. I did know his voice rang true to the soul I possess. I can still here his voice over the sound of helicopter blades that plagued the readings in each tent. Compelled to read his work I finally gave into the need to buy one of his works and so I bought three.

"Without" is a journey of loss. Each poem is a step during the journey of Jane Kenyon's illness, passing, and Donald Hall's experience of loss. His pain, confusion, and helplessness are mirrored in every line and in every word with in the pages of "Without".

By the time I got to page nine I was crying, not for Jane Kenyon but for Donald Hall. The book doesn't show case only loss but devotion. The memories he shares of Jane are clouded with the simple things that brought him contentment and careless pleasure. How often do you see the simple things in your life and overlook the pleasure that exists in the act of observation? Donald Hall looks back on the pleasure of contentment watching his wife taste the sauce that will be served with dinner and the act of bringing in groceries. He tells us of the ravishing beauty she grew into in her 40's. Donald Hall reminds us of hope with in the pages of "Without".

girldiver:)

I wanted to read this collection of poems because I was so moved by Mr. Hall's memoir of his life with Jane Kenyon, The Best Day The Worst Day. The poems here are inspired by the same sequence of events; that is, Ms. Kenyon's death from leukemia. This unity of purpose alone, so rare in poetry collections, gives the book incredible power. Of course, this unity is not enough. Fortunately, despite the sad theme, there are a number of wonderful poems here.

I found the poems in the first half of the book--those leading up to Ms. Kenyon's death--the best. "Song for Lucy," "The Porcelain Couple," "The Ship Pounding," and, especially, "A Beard for Blue Pantry" and "Blues for Polly" very moving, filled with great images like "Jane made bread so honest/it once went blue in the pantry//overnight in a heat wave" (Pantry) and "She sang blue: soulful, erotic,/skeptical, knowing everything/turns out bad in the end." Not surprisingly, blue is a linking color here.

Mr. Hall also intersperses a poem, "Her Long Illness," throughout the first half of the book. It's a risky strategy but it works well. Some of the best lines in the book come in this poem.

I didn't feel the second half of the book, which focuses more on Mr. Hall's loneliness, stood up as well as the first. The title poem, the first of the aftermath poems, is the weakest in the book. There are some passages in the various "Letters" poems that make up most of the second half that are very nice (my favorite, from "Letter in the New Year": "If someone had told us then/you would die in nineteen years,/would it have sounded/like almost enough time?") but, for the most part, they are very uneven. I was also put off by some of the semi-profane and sexual language in some of these poems. Not that these experiences aren't appropriate but they didn't ring true with the rest of the work.

It may be that the first half has the advantage of the tension of Ms. Kenyon's illness which dissolves into a less satisfying depression and loneliness in the second half. Perhaps my knowledge of the memoir interfered somewhat with my reading of some of the poems. Still, as a whole, this is definitely an excellent collection.

In his book of poems "Without", Donald Hall weaves a lexicographic tribute to his late wife, and fellow poet, Jane Kenyon, and in turn, leaves the world a legacy of grief and honor.

I first heard of this book by listening to NPR's "This American Life" on a featured story about the couple. Donald himself read some of these poems, and I knew within a minute, I had to have this work.

As poets so meekly and admirably do, Donald Hall captures the moments of his wife's last days through her battle with leukemia. The poems are simple, attainable, and direct. He minces no words as he describes Jane's downfall. He poetry is both pure and chilling; you feel her loss, you feel her impact, you feel.

If you are considering purchasing this book, I may recommend you purchasing Jane Kenyon's final book of poetry called "Otherwise". In a sense, they are companion pieces to each other, and in reading both you hear her voice, along with his, to make it theirs.

I highly recommend this book if you have ever lost someone, or want to understand the not understandable impact of losing someone.

I read this one soon after it came out--and it informs some of my thinking about current events in and around the Persian Gulf. I'd encourage it for the non-Iranian American who lived through the 'Iranian hostage crisis' period especially. Poignant.

When searching for a book- for my cultural anthropology class, I found this incredible and extraordinary book. I am Mexican, and my boyfriend is Iranian. Hence, sometimes it was difficult to comprehend many things about his culture, but this book really helped me to understand and appreciate Iranian culture. He is more American than Iranian, but he has faced the ongoing negotiation between his past and present, his native home and his adopted home I will recommend this book to anyone who is interested in achieving a personal enrichment and wants to see our modern world with different eyes.

I am 1st generation American. I grew up drinking tea and hearing the stories of Ferdowsi but it didn't seem to capture me completely into my father's culture.

When I came across this book, I fell in love with my culture! I understand so much more of my father's past, his sorrows, his joys, and his beliefs. I also learned more about myself.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Iranian culture!

When searching for a book- for my cultural anthropology class, I found this incredible and extraordinary book. I am Mexican, and my boyfriend is Iranian. Hence, sometimes it was difficult to comprehend many things about his culture, but this book really helped me to understand and appreciate Iranian culture. He is more American than Iranian, but he has faced the ongoing negotiation between his past and present, his native home and his adopted home I will recommend this book to anyone who is interested in achieving a personal enrichment and wants to see our modern world with different eyes.

"A World Between: Poems, Short Stories, and Essays by Iranian-Americans," edited by Persis M. Karim and Mohammad Mehdi Khorrami, is an excellent anthology which greatly enriches the world of ethnic American literature. The pieces in this collection deal with many issues: language, biculturalism and the anxieties of assimilation, family ties, male-female relationships, Islamic fundamentalism, the role of Zoroastrians as a religious minority, war and its aftermath, etc. Although many such issues are specific to Iranian-Americans, others are universal to all "ethnic" Americans. The stories take place in both Iran and the United States, and one even takes place in France.

Some of my favorite pieces in this book include the following: "Made You Mine, America," Ali Zarrin's joyful poem which invokes both Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes; Mariam Salari's humorous short-short story "Ed McMahon Is Iranian"; Ramin M. Tabib's story "Tuesdays," about two Iranian-Americans in the L.A. club scene; Nazanin Sioshansi's essay "The Suffocating Sense of Injustice," about Zoroastrians in Iran; and Siamak Namazi's fascinating essay "Finding Peace in the Iranian Army," about an Iranian citizen who returns to fulfill his military obligation after living in the United States.

"A World Between" really opened my eyes to some of the pain and beauty of the world(s) of Iranian-Americans. This anthology would be ideal both for classroom use and individual reading. For a fascinating complementary text, try "Boricuas: Influential Puerto Rican Writings," edited by Roberto Santiago.

It is inspiring to see the growth in the main character's walk with the Lord. I enjoy the characters in this book and love reading about their lives and journeys. Book four, here I come!

The Yada Yada girls just keep getting better with each book. I can totally relate to several of the characters and what they are going through. A great and easy read.

I bought the whole series at one time and read them in order. They are delightful and I began to feel like I really knew this mixed up group of gals. Thanks for the marvelous read that left me wantint to pray more and keep God in the middle of my day. Peggy Touchtone Sholly, Award winning author Down Home Delicious, the cookbook that has made homecooking in vogue again. Buy yours today at[...]

This is my third book of the Yada Yada series. Great story, great price, and the book arrived in good time and in excellent condition. I've just ordered book four from the same sellers.
Thanks from a pleased customer.

I had enjoyed the first two Yada Yada books in this series and this book was just as good. I feel as if I have participated in their prayer group through the first three books and am looking forward to #4!

This is a great sampler of all the wonderful poets of all times and represents all the different types of poetry. It is a journey into the past as well as the present. What a pleasure to read and share with others.

I personally prefer poem anthologies where the poetry is from a mix of poets, not just a collection of one poet's work. Americans' Favorite Poems will give you some very famous favorites, and also might surprise you with the works of lesser known (but still wonderful) writers.

What I also loved about this treasure of a book was the comments. Robert Pinsky compiled the poems that people from around the US sent him and printed their comments as to why each poem was their favorite. Reading the comments of all these people - firefighters, students, forest rangers, doctors, homemakers, basically people from all walks of life - is often very moving, entertaining, or surprising (you'll see some of your best loved poems from new and delightful angles). You get a feel for why people love poems as they explain that love, that attachment to a particular poem, in their own words.

Americans' Favorite Poems is an amazing book. It is the result of the "favorite poem project" held across the nation. The poems in the collection are real Americans' favorites along with their own comments on why they chose that poem as their favorite. The compilation is great for the obvious. The poems selected come from everywhere (many different cultures and different styles of poetry are present), and they are outstanding. The thing that sets Americans' Favorite Poems apart from other collections is the commentary from regular people. The comments are at turns hilarious and moving. They are always profound. They show the real greatness of good poetry: it has the ability to relate to a person's life experiences and really touch that person.

I must say that my favorite selection in the book was "I May, I Might, I Must" by Marianne Moore mainly because of the reason behind its selection. The only complaint (it isn't much of one) I have about the book is that my favorite "I Thank You God for Most This Amazing" by ee cummings didn't make it, but hopefully, there will someday be a Americans' Favorite Poems Volume II, and it will.

I wonder. I doubt it since Maya Angelou isn't included. She's one of the most visible poets in America today and very much loved. It's not that she's little known because she was America's Poet Laureate a few years ago -- so why leave her out? And why only one poem by William Stafford? Also, clearly one of the universal favorites of Robert Frost's is "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" and it's not here, either. (That one shows up in almost any discussion of poetry.)And, only one poem by Robert Penn Warren, another former USA Poet Laureate?
[sigh]

I'm also suspicious of a "project" that doesn't seem to have been announced widely before it began -- it can't be representative of ALL Americans since all Americans obviously didn't know about it.

All that said, it's a great collection. Through it I met several new poets (new to me)and I certainly enjoyed the ones I was already familiar with. It made me curious, too, about just what the American taste in poetry truly would be. I suspect it would include Ogden Nash and Edgar Allen Poe.

No. I don't think it's representative of the poetic taste of the American public and I don't think it should claim to be so, but I do think it's a great overview of popular poets and a superb collection of poems.

Robert Pinsky, the 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, founded the Favorite Poem Project. Since its inception, the Project has been dedicated to celebrating, documenting and promoting poetry's role in Americans' lives. During a one-year open call for submissions, 18,000 Americans wrote to the project volunteering to share their favorite poems - Americans from ages 5 to 97, from every state, of diverse occupations, education and backgrounds. The Project's first anthology, "Americans' Favorite Poems," consists of 200 of the submitted poems, along with readers' comments about their attachments to the poems. The selections are by poets from all over the world, poems written centuries ago alongside contemporary poems, poignantly sad poetry, as well as spiritually uplifting works, and humorous poems. Many are translations.

I found so many of my own favorites in this extraordinary collection. I was also introduced to many wonderful new poems, I might never have read. And some of the comments from the folks who submitted the poems, are as moving as the poetry itself. The book emphasizes the pure joy of reading poetry. And poetry appreciation is alive and well in America!

There is Anna Akhmatova's "The Sentence," submitted by a woman from Georgia who remembers her brother "who returned from Vietnam, a broken man of 21," when reading this poem; and Margaret Atwood's "Variation On The Word Sleep," "the most beautiful love poem I have ever read," writes a woman from Queens, NY; Lewis Carroll's "Jaberwocky" is included, with the comment, "Where else can you find a tale of danger, adventure, triumph, and jubilation - all so utterly wrapped in nonsense?" There are wonders printed here, by Ranier Marie Rilke, Alexander Pope, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sylvia Plath, William Shakespeare, Wallace Stevens, Dylan Thomas and Allan Ginsberg...and so many more. It must have been a difficult task, indeed, to select 200 poems from so many worthy submissions.

I recommend this anthology to poetry lovers everywhere, and also to those who do not care for poetry. This collection may change your mind.