Poetry Books

If I hear that again, I now have something to pull out and place in the hands of my six year old. We have read it together, and she has read it alone. The pictures are fun and the point is well made. Great book!

...Savor that smile as it slips onto your face and let the merriment begin with this refreshing and insightful narrative about the feelings of a child. This book is both adorable and wise, and it teaches children to look at everything and every situation in a different way. Fun Is A Feeling tells us that fun is where we find it and shows us how to look for it; however, it also reminds us that sometimes we have to put that fun there.

Inside this book, children will discover things that will delight their imagination and wisdom that can only come from within. Fantasy and whimsy permeate, fill, and overflow these pages. That isn't simply a sprinkle of rain pitter-pattering on the upturned faces of children! Who would settle for rain when it can be turned into tiny little kisses - from raindrops that were looking just for them? And what about that bug that lands on their nose? Isn't it there just to give them a hug?

Stardust sparkles and swirls from page to page, sweeping us along with pure joy. Trees stretch their arms wide to let the smiles of children sail through their branches and tickle their leaves. The clear blue waters of a stream giggle their way through a forest glade, while colorful little fish leap as high as they can to peek out at the glorious scenery. What child could resist such beautiful illustrations, or fail to understand the most important message carried within this story...children are very special and their joy can light up the universe.

This is a wonderful book. Sweep up some of its stardust, put it in your pocket, and let its magical message change the way you look at your world - and when that happens, it will change your life...

Reviewed by Ruth Wilson

We just love this book!! The soft, melodic prose is very soothing, as well as the fun, airy illustration. The story provokes imagination and creativity, even in us as parents reading to our child. As with all books by Chara M. Curtis, I couldn't recommend this book more.

At 2 1/2 years old my daughter just hangs on every word and image. She loves this book as well as Curits' All I See is Part of Me. The message is outstanding, the writing divinely inspired, and the images evoking. When's the next one coming out?

...Fun isn't something or somewhere or who... it's a feeling a joy that lives inside of you!...

An absolutely wonderful book, full of joy and of course... FUN! Awesome illustrations and great for kids even below the suggested age group (suggested age group: 4-8). Our son is 2 1/2 and adores this as well as our 1 yr. old daughter!

This book teaches about feelings (sad, happy, angry) and how each and every one of them are healthy and ok, including the feeling, fun. Nice suggestions for older kids are included like having fun by imagining .. "vacuuming the hall with an elephants snout" and so forth.

Our kids enjoy this book every time we read it, which is almost every day incidentally. Not to mention, how much my husband and I enjoy reading it with them.

This is not your average powder puff poetry. Fagan sets the standard pretty high for young emerging poets with these new pieces. As anyone we know, anyone who feels lifes ups and downs and beautiful things, Aaron helps us puts those certain things on paper as we can only try to journal ourselves. Does that make sense? You see, he makes perfect sense, I can only try to put my thoughts down. Never even half as eloquent as Mr. Fagan.

I've been reading and re-reading this collection since it arrived. Fagan's poetry has the gritty truth of someone who has been to the places these poems describe, but what's refreshing here is that Fagan's poems about love ("it's more natural to listen to what's not said") and addiction ("He's got that look in his eye like he's going to throw up or make a toast to you") approach their subjects with both directness and irony, humor and dead seriousness. These poems are intelligent, intricate creatures that are nevertheless deeply emotional and moving, and I feel, reading them, like I'm glimpsing the world through the eyes of someone who is thoughtfully attuned to what people may be feeling, and the ways that we go wrong (the poem "Scatology," for example, starts as a very funny recounting of a trip to the zoo and ends with a provocative meditation on our seemingly lost ability to see the human part of ourselves). Written with a keen ear for the music in language, and never shying away from looking at things that will surely disturb his readers, this is an exciting debut. I'm eagerly looking forward to his next work.

Aaron Fagan's poems are simple, direct, and full of heart. I read poetry for what it tells me about the human experience, and what this book tells me is that there's hope.

Wow. This is great effin book. What makes this collection of poems just so cool is that it is exactly that thing which is like nothing you've ever read before. To wit, reasons why: 1) funny in inimitable fashion 2) yet, serious, willing to examine the absurdities inherent in the world (i.e. elephants crapping, strange cell calls) around and arrange them in forms of language that are just so fitting 3) poems that draw inspiration from a multitude of traditions and disciplines (see what he does with a paradelle!) while forging something new out of the demands of our strange, contemporary lives 4) because Kabuki Hologram is a such an outstanding fragment that it deserves it's own poem, 5) deep and wise and yet confounded by the variety of the everyday. This is poetry that cuts keenly and makes things open. If you like poetry by hot, young and cool talent, then you will love this book. Even if you don't, buy this book anyways, because it will turn you into someone who likes poetry by hot, young, cool talent. Also, if you need to impress a certain girl (or guy) you've had your eye on for quite some time, then buy this book and give it to them. You'll be in like flynn in no time. Trust me.

Really bad poems can sound really good if you read them with dramatic emphasis. Then there are poems that sound really good because there is a particular image that is cleverly crafted, or the language is cleverly crafted, or the idea and the arc of the poem is cleverly idea-d and arc-ed. I like Aaron's book because there is less concern for this, and more concern for the transmission of a feeling. The words and ideas in a poem ultimately fail over time. This book, however, taps into the fourth plane of a poem. If there is no heart, no genuine feeling, and if the poet can't surrender to something greater, then the work never lasts. Fagan's poems will. Fagan surrenders to something greater every time with heart and honesty and is fearless about how the poem is going to end up. He'd rather chase the truth.

Excellent book, some of his work is on the CSET test for teachers.
Great poems for class work.
Book was delivered swiftly, ahead of time. Great!

A Review of Gary Soto's New and Selected Poems:

"Clearing a path / Through the forest / A path that closed / Behind them / As the day opened / A smudge of its blue / They were the first / To leave, unnoticed / Without words / For it no longer / Mattered to say / The world was once blue" ("The First," 29-40).

So eloquently representative of Gary Soto's New and Selected Poems as a whole, these lines capture the essence of the book's journey through growth and understanding. Deeply connected to his roots, Soto's poems are an intimate portrayal of his perception of the world. Unabashedly tackling some of life's greatest mysteries, the poems grapple not only with God and death, but with the meaning of life in general. Beginning with the contemplation of a young boy, Soto's readers grow with the poems, bond with the persona, and ultimately feel a part of the poetry itself. Through keen detail and the virtues of a true poet, Soto does not tell, but rather shows, his readers who he was, and more importantly, how he has come to be.
Making direct reference to the pivotal point in which his life was changed forever Soto writes, "And the moment our father slipped / from a ladder our mother / Reached the door / That opened into a white room / A white nurse / It was the moment / I came down from the tree" ("The Evening of Ants," 35-40). Describing the day his father died, a common theme throughout the work, he openly states, "It was the moment / I came down from the tree" (29-30), meaning that it was the day he lost his innocence. Later, reflecting on the death, he sates, "He fell / From the ladder with an upturned palm / With the eyes of watery light / We went on with sorrow that found no tree / To cry from" ("Another Time," 32-37). It is this frankness and overt display of emotion that so intimately welcomes the reader into the poet's self. Describing not the death itself, but the consequences and its psychological toll, one becomes transfixed with the struggle and often finds oneself questioning if not they would react in the same way.
Drawing from the incredible loss at such a young age, this theme is continued as Soto's journey progresses with questions about God, and about faith itself. In a reflection on Heaven he writes, "Maybe you sit in a chair / Maybe earth is far below / Or maybe the new home is much closer / Just above the trees. / A sea howl at the window / - or you're those hangers banging / Quietly when the closet door opens / Conjectures. Little clues / Really. But we're hopeful we'll wake. / The chair is for us" ("Heaven," 9-10, 14-21). Clearly seeking understanding, perhaps for a reassurance is not final, Soto ponders the question of faith. In a darker reflection we read, "By the time I was eighteen and in junior college / Religion was something like this: The notion / Of "project" is an ambiguous substitute for the notion / Of quiddity, and that situation is / An ambiguous substitute for the notion of an / Objective condition resulting from the causes / And natures interacting in the world" ("Home Course in Religion," 1-7). This disconnected jumbled confusion of faith greatly contrasts a younger description in which he writes, "I was a pretty holy third grader... / I sat in the front pew / Among old Italian women hunched together / Like pigeons, happy because it was only a matter / Of time before Monsignor would say, we are sinners / I would look at my shoes / And nod my head Yes. / I recalled my sins." ("Some mysteries," 1, 6-11). An ongoing discussion in a quest to understand faith, Soto displays both blind understanding and acceptance, and an intellectual pursuit for answers. Not reaching any specific destination, the quest is left to the reader to embark upon him/herself. As for God Himself, Soto writes, "God, I see is bringing out his book / His tongue black from licking his pencil / Again and again" ("Planet News," 22-24). This idea of providence seems important to Soto as he writes, "So I went on, did not / Look back, but thought / That God was testing me" ("The Journey," 28-30). With the hardships experienced as a youth and a troubled young adulthood, it seems fitting that Soto would describe his life as "a test," and sensible that it was made endurable through the belief that despite hardship, God was still there "with his pencil," and that He hasn't been forgotten. This revelation of how to cope leads directly into his understanding of life in general.
He states, "A friend says, be happy. Desire. / Remember the blossoms/ In rain, because in the end / Not even the ants / Will care who we were / When they climb our faces / To undo the smiles" ("Between Words," 30-36). Gruesomely stating the necessity to carpe diem, Soto's entire collection is a description of examples. Overcoming adversity and fighting life's most difficult quandaries, one of the most delightful aspects of his poetry is a continual appreciation of the small things. Whether is be oranges, sparrows, flowers, or family, a simple joy of life is never absent from the poetry.
In conclusion, I present this collection of poetry as highly recommended. The subjects are real and the writing is human. In this poet, it is easy to find one-self. For those tired of tongue-tied poems with obscure meanings, this collection is for you. Soto is clear, concise, and a poet you won't soon forget. As he says, "How strange that we can begin at any time" ("Looking Around, Believing," 10). Begin today by buying this book!

I had resolved to try a new approach to buying books - first borrow them from the library and only buy them if I think I would read them again. I happened on Gary Soto's compilation by chance at the library - and it's the first book I am going to have to buy following my rule.

These are poems that draw you immediately into their world, which they create by the simplest of means - the most telling nouns, the most pungent verbs. It's all here - the child, the outsider, the lover, the starving, the optimistic. These are poems crafted out of a spareness of cloth, a richness of spirit. Poems that continue talking long after they have been laid aside.

Thanks to Chronicle Books for bringing out Soto's New and Selected Poems! So much of the man's stuff (especially the early stuff that I first fell for - the poems from Where Sparrows Work Hard and The Elements of the San Joaquin) is sadly out of print. But now, here's most of it presented in a thoughtful collection that gives us the best of the past and lets us catch up on the latest.

I love Soto for his heart that beats through every line and for the warm humor that softens the heavy stuff he has to show us. His poems, my students tell me, tell it like it is. His poems, my poet friends tell me, say it like it should be.

I await now the Collected Poems by Gary Soto. Are you listening Chronicle Books?

I find it sad that Gary Soto has been labeled by some as a "Mexican-American" poet. He is an American poet, or, better yet, a poet. From this book, I'd recommend these poems to be included in the Western canon: "At the All-Night Cafe", "Drinking in the Sixties", "Home Course in Religion", "Oranges", "Some Worry", and "Taking the Movies to the Streets".

Sonny surprised me. I knew he was a great talker. but his writting surpasses his speech.I now know why there is pain in his eyes. Not all of which is from the physical problems.I am very proud of you and your book.Vi

"Having read Sonny Gratzer's General Issue Blues, I was stunned to know he could read my mind. When I read Gratzer's words, I felt as if I had written them. I certainly thought them. I am not a writer. I am, however, a Combat Veteran of Viet Nam and I can feel what Gratzer has written about Viet Nam and he is on target. He should write more about his experiences because he strikes a chord. Fire for effect, Sonny!"

Captain Sonny Gratzer, as a commander, was the stereotype of the leader whose men would follow him anywhere. They did too. He was fearless and a leader who sensed needs. He was highly decorated. Severly wounded, "General Issue Blues" recounts his long struggle recouperating and dealing with the myriad feelings and emotions about the war. His poem, "I Remember You" in the book, describes how today he remains the Patriot and leader he was over thirty years ago. To quote from this poem, "To men who gave and gave. Never questioning when I raved Except To wonder if I would stand by you? Yes! I stood with you and Gave at the boonie office too. See I cared then--and I still do."

For years upon years, my bedroom in the basement on King Street (which he custom built with his hands, sweat, and broken body), was directly underneath my dad's "Vietnam writing room" (which I secretly called his office or den). This private place was, and will always be, home to his greatest weaponry; Mr. George Michael Gratzer's mind, memories and an ancient electric IBM. I wondered, while trying to sleep, when the pounding on the keys would finally end. Now I pray that sound won't go away. Gratefully, it'll be impossible to finish reading this wonderfully written work of art. I believed I knew my dad; after carrying his first published book around with me for a few years, I know I do! You, as well, will also be one of the privedged few to better understand the reality of Vietnam "lived" by one of this country's most honorable of men. His poetry captures you and puts you into the shoes of a man movies are made of, books are written about, and characters are dreamed of. As a little boy I would cautiously ask my dad to tell me what Vietnam was like...what the truth was. Sometimes he reluctantly spelled it out for me, which is what he's done here. During my Marine Corps career, a day didn't pass that I didn't think of my dad. Would I ever be under the command of a man who could lead the way he can? Although I knew some incredible studs, they couldn't hold a candle to "Bandit 6!" He IS the best of the best of THE best of men.

Nobody's perfect, but this book is. I know - I grew up with it every day, and now I carry this little piece of history with me everywhere. Everyone has something, if not a lot, to gain from any of his books (he's working on more and has been for the last few decades). We should be so lucky when they publish. Can't wait. He's written some darned impressive country music lyric's also! Where's Shania when you need her? As the gallant old man would put it...with silent breath whispering and eye's sparkling eerily, "Keep 'yer eyes peeled...they could be anywhere." But you can find it right here at amazon.com. Congratulations, DAD! I salute you.

Sonny Gratzer's undeniably powerful poems are reminders that every person is shaped and haunted by something. From his vivid images of the Vietnam War and its after effects on his life, an almost unbearable lonliness emerges. Written from an inner territory of emotional and physical turbulence, his collection of love and war poems depicts a body and soul torn, stitched, torn and mended again while forever visible scars remain.

The writing in this book all bears Ammons's mark of experimental, architectonic genius. He writes with severe intellect & a kooky sense of humor. He tends to prefer abstract thinking to emotion or physical objects or location. Gripping read.

There are more insights into language and life on any given page of this book than any poet has pulled off since, maybe, Auden. And I like Archie better than Auden. I agree with Harold Bloom: this poem is probably immortal.

Here this master of the book-length poem constructs a long poem different from other long poems of his, at the height of his command over poetics. This is a book of thoughts; he prefers the word in a conceptual space over the word as image. He also has a crazy sense of humor. Sections of this long poem are sectioned into very small units, & the form of 2-line stanzas is almost (but not quite) constanr throughout the book. The poems move as you would imagine the sphere on the cover would roll -- with a steady, hard arcing sound. I don't know this for sure yet, but I have a feeling Ammons liked associating his poetry with spheres so much because spheres are the shapes with the greatest surface area to volume ratio, & his words are just as voluminous in their terseness. In other news, his poetry in this book is its own very exciting avant-garde. Until his death on 25 Feb, 2001, more & more throughout his life, he was always creating wholly new spaces for poetry to move through. This his last book keeps moving.

Ammons was a master of the concise lyric, the witty aphorism, and the unusual nature narrative: a dialogue between a man and a mountain, for example. But he shines in his long poems, his book-length poems, of which "Glare" is the final example. The poem enacts the workings of an expansive supple probing ever-restless mind as it turns over all that comes at it centripetally as if it occupied the center of the universe. In a sense he did that as well as any American poet since Robert Frost. That is one measure of his greatness. There are others in the glare of mourning.

Incredibly it's really difficult to find A. R. Ammons poetry in bookshops in the UK. As far as I know his work isn't actually published here & so enthusiasts have to rely on specialist shops or on ordering his books (from internet bookstores or elsewhere). I first came across his worksevseral years ago in an anthology of American verse - & I've been hooked ever since. 'Glare' is a spectacular display of Ammon's deceptively easy-looking conversational style. Confident, funny, disarmingly direct, it touches on the wonderful & terrible business of living & growing old. The language is razor edged & playfully fuzzy - in exactly the right places & amounts. The long poem (of which 'Glare' is a very special example) has tripped-up many a gifted poet, but this has the sustained brilliance of someone competely at home with the form, someone who knows how to set poetic pace & rhythm to fit the task in hand. On a more commonplace note, it's a very engaging read. A book you can dip in & out of or settle down with. A book full of sparkiling wit, occasional glittering nuggets of wisdom, old-geezerish grumbling, rambling, ranting & poetry that will 'lift the top of your head off' as someone once said. He should be in the shops here. U.K. publishers please note.

I found that I laughed and cried my way throught this wonderfully profound book of poetry. I could relate to most of the events in this authors life. She was painfully honest with her poems, but amazingly had humor within. I have purchased numerous books for a birthday lunch group I belong to. They have been accepted with such excitment, that I have decided to give them as gifts outside the "birthday lunch bunch".

I loved this book. Vicki's words have helped me tremendously. I find that after initially reading the whole book, I keep it on my desk and refer to it throughout the day. It's so uplifting and inspirational to me. I recommend this book to everyone. There is something here to inspire every one of us. Thank you so much Vicki.

Never read a book that makes me feel the way "GOD LIVES ONE FLOOR ABOVE THE PENTHOUSE" DOES.

Whenever I read this book, it is much more than poetry for me. Vicki's words are so profound that it touches the very essence of my soul. This book is a recipe for life.

Read it on a daily basis and enjoy all that life has to offer through Vicki's words!!!!!

This is the book to pick up whenever you just need to have a "message" delivered to you....whatever page you turn to will be just the message you'll need to hear. The words are truly from the heart,soul, and loving spirit of the author.

Vicki's poetic verse jumps out from the pages and into my heart. Thoroughly enjoyable. A book to be read over and over again. I simply loved it! THANKS FOR THE SMILES,TEARS,AND LOVE THAT YOUR BOOK HAS GIVEN ME. Barbara K.

Leslie Moore's poetry reveals her warm and caring spirit. Her collection, "God Songs," is filled with uplifting and comforting messages that soothe the soul. Having met Leslie in the past year, we feel that her poetry expresses who she is in a very pleasing and accurate manner. Leslie's warmth and spirituality radiates both in her personality and in her poetry.

When reading Leslie Moore's 'God Songs', it's like talking to a very close friend. Your friend speaks, and you find yourself noding your head in agreement. You think, "Wow, that's just how I feel too". Or you say to yourself, "I thought I was the only one who felt like that." And if she speaks of an experience that you've not had yet, you find yourself reaching out in empathy with her.

The book is timeless, because it addresses issues that every generation experiences. I highly recommend this book.

From an encouraged reader in Fayetteville, NC

When I purchased this book I was going through a tough time. It has made things easier for me to handle. Leslie is a very inspirational writer. I recommend this book to anyone out there that may be going through a tough time in their life and needs some inspirational words to help get through it. Thank you Leslie for writing this book. I hope to see more from this author in the near future.

I truly enjoyed this book of poems. It is a great read! This writer truly dedicated their time and effort into creating a book of emotions and thoughts to share with others. It really makes you think about the choices you've made in life and how to go about correcting a lot of issues you've had in the past , and even the one's you may be having in the present. Creates a need to better yourself emotionally and become one with GOD!

This book is truly an inspiration to us all. I could feel almost each
and every word as I read poem after poem. Leslie Moore is truly an
amazing spirit and talent that has blessed us all with this wonderful
collection of inspirational words. Please pick up a copy today and
help support this rising star. I guarantee you will NOT be
disappointed; I certainly wasn't.

Sharon Olds delves deeply into the heart of what it means to be human in her collection of poems, "The Gold Cell." I am continually amazed as to how she deals with taboo subjects, such as sex, religion, and morality, with direct and shockingly vivid language. In this particular collection of poems, Olds uses the image of blood to represent various motifs; the blood between family ties, its relation to sex and the body, and even the patriotic sense and the "Americaness" of blood. Using this single word, Olds is able to create an infinite number of images and meanings that go far beyond the common notion that blood is what supplies the body with life. This is by far one of the most influential books of poetry that I have encountered in my career. I do not recommend it to those who are squimish or who are prone to heart-failure at the mention of the word "sex" or "penis." While most of her poems are alluring and evocative, many will shock you with their unabashed treatment of sensitive subjects. For those of you who wish to divulge into the mind of what it means to be human, I whole-heartedly recommend this collection of poetry. Olds' poems not only examine what it means to be human but what it means to be moral beings. Prepare for a journey that will reveal the emotional and raw psychology of the human mind.

As in her other volumes of poetry, Olds is a masterful documenter of the flesh. No living American poet writes as authentically about the body as she does -- the exquisite descriptions of sexuality (First Sex is particularly good), motherhood, and aging are not easily forgotten. In my favorite, California Swimming Pool, she captures adolescence so succinctly and alluringly that my own experience of 13 came rocketing back into my consciousness with an intensity which shocked me. Of all her volumes of poetry, this is my favorite.

I've never read poetry this honest, this heart-wrenching, this intense, this passionate, this realistic, this humorous, this painful... I could go on for ages, but it would turn into drooling dribble. Olds is amazingly talented. Her work is graphic, as real life is, and not to be taken lightly. Buy it, commit to reading it, appreciate her world view.

Emily Dickinson once said something to the extent of, that when she felt that the top of her head had been taken off, she knew that was true poetry. That's how I felt while reading The Gold Cell, and I assure you, that's a great thing. This is an incredibly powerful read and well worth your time.

Stars are little for this book. There is a raw solace, poems become picked scabs.

...I loved the pictures and the poems, and began looking for it 14 years ago for my home. Wish I'd looked at Amazon a while ago. The illustrations stay in your mind forever - whimsical and beautiful. The poems are second to none, and some, I have never found elsewhere. I just about cried for joy today when I got my hands on MY VERY OWN copy. Every house should have one! This book is a true treasure!

I fell in love with this book in my elementary library. I've paid enough late fines on it in the last 15 years to have bought the book several times over. It's here that I fell in love with Lady Clair and a million other classics that have resurfaced over and over in my classes in grade school and college. I want my own copy!

...Begins one of my many favorites introduced to me by this book. My mother (a librarian) first read poems such as "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" to me from this book, and I continued to read them until a hiatus where a young man disdains poetry as not being macho. I rediscovered many an old friend when I started reading these poems to my own children. Now the book is in tatters (glueback bindings do not stand the test of time, especially not in dry Colorado), and I search for a replacement. If the reissue has indeed been 'sanitized' in the name of political correctness, then I fear much will have been lost, and I will be reduced to trying to rebind my tatters.

I have read this so many times my copy is literally falling apart. I am 37, and to this day entire phrases still ring in my head from classics like The Highwayman, Paul Revere's Ride and Jabberwocky ("beware the Jub-jub bird and shun the frumious Bandersnatch!"). In fact, when I took the GRE several years back, my acquaintance with this collection was of more value than my college literature classes. Not only for children - although I would buy a copy for every child I care about if it was still in print.

My siblings & I all grew up on this collection of poems and we each have our favorites. My copy is so old that it is literally falling apart and unfortunatly in storage. I remeber the Lorelei and the Highwayman. Not only was the poetry sweet & memorable but the art was captivating and I learned to draw trying to reproduce the the images. I now have a neice who I will pass this lovely book on to, (especially since my sister cannot remember the name of the book).

Attentive readers have been keeping an eye on Erin Keane for some time now. While her earlier collections showed the promise of a remarkable talent, resting dormant like the proverbial butterfly in the proverbial chrysalis, the Gravity Soundtrack shows her talent blossoming in full, like the proverbial beautiful butterfly coming out of the chrysalis and realizing that is also a beautiful flower of mixed metaphor.

No, really, these are cool poems. If you like poetry; or if you had your love of poetry beaten out of you by reading musty old chestnuts in high school but are willing to accept the idea that they might still be relevant; or if you are indifferent to poetry but like bars, rock music or people; or if you like reading well-observed details about bars, about music, or about people who like them, you should read this book.

It's lowbrow poetry with a sense of humor. Feels like digging around in a junk store and finding that Rohl Dahl book you loved as a kid, half a conversation on the back of a postcard no one thought you'd ever see, and a serviceable copy of one of those albums that makes the critic's lists but you haven't ever heard. It's a good find.

Read the stunning images from a poem entitled "The Tao of Big Daddy" -- "wall panels peel like tears" and "carved space/between yes and no" -- and you can see for yourself why this book amazes, delights and impresses.

Erin Keane's first book is a triumph, a guidepost. Here is a voice that values the young and honors the time-tested. Keane's poems are honest and insightful, easy like breathing, seamless as pulling a trigger. It's like smoking a cigarette with the priest after taking confession. A definite must-read for alienated young readers and seasoned veterans.

In her first full-length collection, Keane imagines the interior lives of record clerks and air guitar geeks, as well as a probable encounter of Shane McGowan meeting her father at an after life dive bar. She approaches her subjects slyly and with love, but never with nostalgia or syrupy sweetness.

Long legs, a sharp tongue and a graceful pen, Keane composed a soundtrack all readers will want to hear.