Poetry Books

Rigoberto Gonzalez makes it seem so easy: his poems sing with a clear, uncluttered voice about our quotidian existence. But don't be fooled. There is great craft in those easy, flowing lines. This is a beautiful, slender book of poems; a dazzling debut.

I read this book for a summer class in college and I was blown away! The poems are definitely a cut above. And I'm one of those hypercritical readers of poetry. This one you can't put down. A warning to those who scare easily. Don't read these right before you go to bed they will haunt your dreams. Check out that man who distributes nightmares poem.

I am amazed how this poet manages to find the beauty in his community; how he manges to shape the darkness, like clay, scattered throughtout the experiences of people often left out of American literature. Fieldworkers, widows, migrants all are given room to exist on the page. The lives of these people are explored and reconstructed in a manner that doesn't scream "victim". Instead, the poet makes the reader aware of the almost casual beauty surrounding these characters. It is this insistence on protraying these characters in an "honest" light without injecting ethnocentric values into the poems that makes the poems resound, even after the pages rest on the shelf. These poems remind me of a line by Paul Monette--"people who were always singing and we were the song". Other Chicano poets have, lately, failed to remember in a way that seems new. Gary Soto, Alberto Rios, and Lorna Dee Cervantes, to me, are the holy trinity of Chicano poetry because they posses the tools of the poet: craft, beauty and a community to write about. Rigoberto Gonazlez will join the ranks of these three.

Reading Rigoberto Gonzalez's poetics was a feast, a delight on a snowy night in New England. Having just returned from Michoacan, I savored the poet's use of space, diction, and lyricism, mapping a necessary poetics in the American imaginary.

It is clear that the poet is meticulous with language. He uses the senses to their maximum potential and creates something wonderful that is poetry. As an aficionado of poetry, I so anticipate such caliber of poetry and prose from Rigoberto Gonzalez in the future.

In the poem "Philandera..." the poet writes of "crocheted creations...extended only with the failure of crops: six doilies bought a week's nixtamal; a tablecloth kept even the chicken feet fat." This metaphor-izes how I felt about this marvelous collection. When one is feeling low for some reason, one can read these poems to still feel the beauty of the universe, in those details right under one's nose. A hint of sadness lingers throughout the book, only to heighten the redemption found in lucidity. If one sees as this poet does, one can never become nihilistic. Rigoberto Gonzalez's poems are "crocheted creations" which are like his Morelos: "puckered and kissable."

I just married a Romanian while he was on tour in the U.S. for six months. Having only been here for a year he was terribly homesick. After ordering the book I was able to surprise him with a full Romanian meal, and it was so easy! Highly, highly recommended!

This book is an all-around great cookbook. To be honest, I had never heard of Romanian cuisine before and picked up the book on a whim. I'm glad I did because the book introduced me to a delicious culture that I had never sampled before. The recipes in the book are grouped into the following chapters: appetizers, salads, egg dishes, soups, polenta, fish dishes, meat dishes, poultry dishes, vegetable dishes, dumplings, sauces, desserts, wines, preserves, and Jewish dishes. I found good recipes in each chapter, some fancy, and some that can be whipped up in minutes. Interspersed throughout the book are short history lessons about Romania, fairy tales, and poetry, as well as Klepper's comments explaining the cooking culture. The book also includes a bibliography, a place and personal name index, and English recipe index, a Romanian recipe index, a brief pronunciation guide, an English-Romanian-French food dictionary, and even an American-British food dictionary (surprisingly useful!). If you're looking for a Romanian cookbook, this is a great one. And if you're just looking for some interesting and tasty new recipes, you'll find some here.

Somehow, everyone in Romania seems to believe that their heaviest food is also the tastiest. In Romanian restaurants both in Romania and accross the US, in cookbooks -- all I'm finding are the stuffed grape or cabbage leaves, the pork products, the mamaliga. What happened to all those seasonal (in Romania) meals centered around the great vegetables that abound in Spring, stuff that a family would actually eat everyday at home? The light and flavorful zuchinni with yoghurt, the spinach puree, all the many ways to prepare mushrooms, celery roots, even the lowly potatoe? The great sour soups that wake one up with their taste? What about some of the staples, like bors (not to be confused with Russiona borscht), the sour grain vinegar that is so good in those soups? Or all the pickled vegetables that spice up ones winter meal? Also, there are all the holiday preparations, such as a stuffed goose, duck on sourkraut, and, for the kids, the "sweet bites", sort of like a gingerbread cracker, but thicker and with a soft, molasse-like consistency (turta dulce for those of you out there who know :-)...
I'm not a great Romanian cook myself and I bought this book hoping to fill in some of my childhood favorites. It does do a good job of the recipes it presents. I handed the stuffed grape leaves recipe to the chef in charge at my wedding and it ended up being a favorite with my (mostly non-Romanian) guests!
The other complain I have is that some of the ingredients have been "adapted" to suit most American supermarkets. I won't complain about getting some of the fat out (although most of it stayed...) but what about the tarragon, the lovage, dill --they're all available here, with a bit of effort. Why not do what many asian cookbooks do and require the original ingredient, with an easy-to-find alternative where in doubt? And what about those simple salads that "parsley-up" and liven up any Romanian family's dinner?
Maybe it depends on the region -- Transylvania does have its share of heavier food, and with no outlets to the Black Sea, people there don't really enjoy eating fish. But Romanian cuisine has so many other flavors that I constantly see neglected, yet they are the easiest to include in a balanced diet...
And a final word of praise: the romanian wine list at the end is worth the price of the book -- and brings the stars rating to 4. I've been looking for something similar for a while, and I was really glad to find it in this book.

This is a fantastic book. So many of the recipes I remember from my mother's and grandmother's cooking. It's also nice to get a little bit of a history lesson, along with Romanian poems and folktales. I purchased it for my daughter and sons. Since I left Romania at 15 (over 18 years ago), it's nice to remember some of the Romanian cooking I grew up with.
Now, if I could only get my American husband to try some of the recipes, that would be a victory indeed. :o)

I am Romanian and have lived in the US for just a short time. I got this book as a Christmas gift for my mother in law who is American. She loved it and wants to try cooking some of the recipes in there!!! It has great traditional recipes and some history lessons to help a novice understand Romanian culture. I was so happy to find the book on amazon and I recommend it to anyone who wants to explore Romanian culture.

Vincent Lopez managed to write a collection of poems that touched my heart, my mind, and my funnybone. I had to earmark just about every page in the book as a favorite. I've had this book for over a year now, and it is still one of my favorite books of poetry.

This is now one of my favorite poetry books and authors. This book is very engaging. It keeps your interest like a novel. Its unpredictable, humorous, warming, blunt, sad, and happy - all in one. I relaxed into this book like it was a pillow and I just read and read and read...I didn't want the book to end!!! I feel blessed and enlightened just to be exposed to the world of "Thimk". I am so pleased with this book that I find myself promoting it voluntarily...I can't help it :)

I really enjoyed Vincent Lopez's book. I had to read it on the bus, lunch breaks, bedtime, any chance I could get. I felt connected to what was written because I had similar questions, thoughts, etc. but just didn't know how to manifest them. It's a must read.

Being a mother of small children, I haven't had a chance to read as much as I used to but a friend highly recommended the book. This is the first book of poetry that I have ever bought and I read it in one day! Being a hopeless romantic myself I got swept away by his love poems and his life poems really made me THIMK about different issues around the world and those going on in my life. I would definitely recommend this book to those who are ready to open their minds and spirits.

"Thimk" by Mr. Lopez is truly for the souls with great minds. If you need an opener book that feels you with warmth, joy, tears and laughter this book will take you to places that only a deep soul can relate too. The author as a style of his own that opens the soul within you and clearly makes you "THIMK". I enjoyed the creativeness that Mr. Lopez contained in each poem which, makes you feel the words in your inter-soul.
I was just going through life's daily routine and felt I was missing something. I brought "THIMK" and it hit me once I finished reading that I needed to THIMK more. I had missed reading and some times with life busy schedules you can't get a minute to your self. The book "THIMK" healed my soul and opened my mind for the joy of reading again. "THIMK is very excellent & enlighting. So if you are a "THIMKER" with a great soul this BOOK is for you I highly recommend it.
I can't wait for the author to write another book/novel.
There was a poem that left me baffled so when you read please write your review -see if you can unscramble that POEM!!!

I never thought someone could be so creative with "This Little Piggy." My son (20 mo.) and nephew (4 yrs.) LOVE it. They used it so much I've taped & glued it back together so many times that it's time to buy a new one - one for each of them.

The story line is based on a birthday party (VERY neat & creative). The first four little piggies are preparing a surprise party for the last piggy. The toes actually wiggle - or move, and a piggy pops up. You see them shopping at the market, wrapping gifts & decorating, cooking roast beef for dinner, etc.

My son loves this book. He received it for Christmas when he was 10 months old. He wants us to sit and read it to him over and over and over. Once, twice, three times is never enough. He just cannot get enough of this book.

What a fun book! It adds an extra storyline to the popular Piggy nursery rhyme. Everyone we've given this book to has loved it too. Though the book is pretty durable, when my daughter was younger, she did rip many of the pop-ups. That's okay -- we just bought another one now that she doesn't rip books anymore. : )

Nice and sturdy to take the rugged treatment of a toddler's hands. This book get passed around at play time and parties by all the kids - very popular. Great book

My son absolutely loves this book and has since he was about 10 months (he is 19 months now). We didn't even realize when we first received it as a gift that the little toes moved (duh!). He did it on his own. He tries to grab the piggy that pops up before we pop the piggy back into hiding. I'm also buying a second one because he has "used" this book almost every day for the last 9 months and has beaten it up pretty bad. I can't wait for him to see the new copy -- he'll be so excited. Anyway, it is so unpredictable which books kids will love. I think this one has been the reliable favorite of my son.

George J Carroll author and reviewer.

This is a Must Read for any animal lover which shows how selfless people, called Animal Rescuers, respond to a tragedy and give of themselves to save animals left to fend for themselves after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. Each poem is a story in itself and will move you to tears or give you a lighthearted moment but the tragedy is quite clear in what it has done to these animals and the owners who could not take them with them when rescued. The author is to be commended for all his work in rescuing and relocating many of these animals, along with the thousands of volunteers who gave of there time in this same endeavor.

I just finished reaing Kastro's book "Through Katrina's Eyes" and must say that it will be a book that I will remember for a long time. Ed allows the reader to see the heartache, tragedy, and suffering from a different view than the media portrayed...from the animals that were left behind, lost, and forgotten as well as his own view...the rescuer's perspective. Kastro's poetry is heartfelt, moving, and real. I was deeply moved by the characters and the circumstances, the darkness that was described in their eyes as they wait for their owners to return, their determination to protect what was left of their homes, and the joy of being rescued! A look at the tragedy of the storm that forever changed our nation...a book about the tragedy of the storm that will forever empact your life!

At first this tiny volume of poetry was hard to take. It will make you cry. Then it points that some animals were indeed reunited with their masters & mistresses or found homes where they are also loved. Also the latest problem is packs of wild dogs & feral cats who were once domestic but lost and abandoned from Katrina. Such animals can breed 24/7. The offspring are not immunized. They can attack. They suffer, fight & starve. This is why laws to permit people to evacuate with pets are so important. First there is separation & grief which can lead to drunkeness. Then there is the abandoned animal problem which is full of disease & danger. Evacuation with pets is more expensive but it saves in the long run.

Ed Kostro has done it again. The poems in this book will have you reaching for a handkerchief one moment and laughing out loud at the next. Ed is able to capture his unique experiences of the Katrina battlefield, the horrendous strugle of the animals that were left behind, and the horrifying aftermath of a devastating hurricane in few words - words so powerful that a novel could not do them justice. The poetry of Kostro touches one's soul, and once you read this book, you will never look at the human or animal condition in the same way again.

Bravo!!!

Not only do I recommend "Through Katrina's Eyes" because of its powerful and compassionate message, but also because a portion of the proceeds from each book sold will be donated to animal shelters that are still housing many of these 'left behind' dogs and cats.

The Katrina animals rescued by the volunteers had faced unimaginable tribulations, the courage and patience of both rescued and rescuers stands as an example for all of us...and deserves our appreciation and support.

Not to mention that Ed's wife is surely deserving of a standing ovation, if not Sainthood...and if you want to know why, then ya gotta read the book! :o)

I've searched for this book in different venues and came up with nothing. Ironically, I just found out that the author of this book is my cousin. I guess that makes me biased. Sorry. But thanks so much for your help.

First of all, I noticed that you had the first word of the title as "trails", but it's "trials" on the book, and that is a shame because this book is excellent. It reads more than a poetry book, it tells stories that black people can relate to. I think that it's brillantly written and I've shared it with all of my friends. Oh yeah, the title is amazing.

Dee Brown introduced me to his book and I must say that this is the best book of poetry that I have ever read. I could not wait to get home and call my friends and family to let them know how great this book was. I am so glad that I had the pleasure of reading this book before Mother's Day, what an excellent gift!! From a young, black, intelligent woman, GET THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just wanted to say that this book is really good. I read the entire book in two days. this is not your ordinary poetry book because I could relate to the poems so well. I'm also from the hood and this book captures many attitudes and feelings from my neighborhood.

first of all, the title that is on amazon.com is incorrect. the title of this book is "trials and tribulations of a fried bologna sandwich." not "trails". however, i thought that this book was fantastic, dee brown is a true poet. his diverse styles throughout the book make it a page turner and a pleasant surprise on every poem. this book is deep, wise, smart, thoughtful, and humerous all rolled into one. i give this book five stars, for sure.

Once again, I was quickly sucked into this collection of poetry. Insightful, sometimes humorous, but always very accurate and truthful are several descriptions I would associate with Michelle Ailene True. For any true poetry lover, we know and appreciate an artist who can succinctly choose words that give vivid imagery, entice emotions, and do so in few words.

No Retreat and I Won't Give up are examples of the author's inner strength but also they show us that the victimization come not from how the other people/situation treats us, but how we respond to the situation. Our choices make us either the victim or the survivor. Look Back And Laugh makes you proud of her wisdom. It goes on like that though all 151 pages as the author tries to convince herself, and the process convinces you, the reader, of a fantastic universal truth. We all hurt. We all bleed. We all want love. And most importantly, we all have the strength within to rise above and move on.

Though the poems are the author's pain, when you read them, there is not one person who cannot associate with the words, the emotions, the pain or the joy expressed in the poems. They are universal and beautifully crafted for that very reason.

True Emotions, written by author Michelle Ailene True, covers all emotions and
subjects of life. Not one the same, some intriguing, some very different; but all
written very well. Michelle Ailene True, author of True Reflections, brings to you
True Emotions with one hundred poems to satisfy any poetry lover. Keep your eyes
peeled for future works by Michelle Ailene True.

- Veronica Lamont. author of I'm Not Mad, I'm Special

True Emotions by Michelle Ailene True delivers an entertaining account and perspective of love, life, relationship and loss. The poems in this book truly come from the heart, and make the absolutely remarkable True Emotions come to life. Each poem is woven together with various emotions and transitions so subtle that the reader will be drawn into the depths of Ms. True's inner most feelings. For example, in I'M JUST ME, Ms. True writes: "I'm just me, no more, no less; I don't leave much for you to guess. In SHATTERED, My heart has been frequently shattered, as thought it hasn't ever mattered." Showing such strengths, candor, and vulnerability each emotion transcends throughout her writings. True Emotions will leave a lasting impression upon its readers as they reflect upon its veritable journey of emotions. I highly recommend this book to everyone. David A. Lewis, author of Forever Moments

Michelle Ailene True's True Emotions is filled with poetry that depicts perfectly how poets feel about their craft and the words that they use to draw a picture for the reader. "Hair Obsession" shows her self-assuredness, "No Retreat" and "Don't Give Up" shows her strength as a person while "I Didn't Mean To Leave" illustrates deep sadness through loss, and her poem "Without You" shows the full cycle of love, loss and the return to wholeness. Michelle has a unique way of pulling you into her mind and heart as a poet and shows you the love and frustration of her craft. It's funny, loving and serious throughout and a must for book lovers everywhere! - Terri Ann Armstrong, Author of My Soul Has Spoken & Where Do I Begin?

Michelle True is a poet with strong self-respect who makes her own choices in life and deals with the consequences. In her newly published work, True Emotions, Michelle discusses old and new relationships, the sensuous pleasures of everyday life and loves in a self-contained and thoughtful way.

Each word is placed with care on the page with spiritual power and often joy, as she serenely blends emotions with descriptive sounds and original expressions. Michelle sometimes writes with a subtle feeling of disappointment in life, reminiscent of Emily Dickinson's self-contained solitude, that carries you throughout her writing and reveals a quiet passion and love of people and life combined with expectation of something better. Her poems have a calming effect on the soul, of acceptance of life as it is, yet striving for more, as she ties together beginnings and endings often surprising the reader at the finish.

The sorrows, hurts, acceptance and release of the act of divorce is poignantly described throughout the book, leaving the reader with a deep compassion for the wounded self felt by the author as a sweet dream turned sour. True Emotions drains the dross in all of us to reveal the nugget of gold Michelle True leaves at the bottom of our souls. It is a book everyone who loves poetry's simplest, truest reflection of life as it is and how we wish it could be, will want to read and place among their finest works of poetry, as well as share with others. - Joyce Ann Edmondson, author of "The Listening Tree"

Normally I don't care for poetry...however, this book of poetry told a story. The story of a woman after God's own heart. The story of someone who has been broken but leaning on God's shoulders. The story of someone who mourned the lost of a loved one and wanted to began to rejoice. The story of someone who is genuinely concerned with racial reconciliation. This book is a love story with the Lord as the main character.

We live in a world where people are seeking realness and truth. Ms. Allen delivers just that!

' Forgive me' pg. 17 ...Ms. Allen leads us into God's presence, where true forgiveness/atonement awaits...such a blessed place!

Poet has an uncanny nack of being able to portray the realness of life. Covering topics not often talked about in society and often frowned upon by the prude in each of us. Thoughtful and perceptive. One experiences change after encountering this collection.

Allen's poems are refreshing and inspiring their honesty. She's clearly lived a lot in life, and come through much. Very good for my spirit to read and reflect on her thoughts.

It's so hard to explain just how beautiful the illustrations in this book are. My son learned the entire poem the first year we read it when he was 3 1/2 and it is a book he looks forward to getting out every year. There are other great illustrators who have done Twas the Night Before Christmas, but there is something so special about these dot illustrations that I'm so grateful we happened upon THIS book.

This book has nice black and white illustrations, and "old English" spellings. The cover is a subtle forest green, wine red binding and some gold.

What a contrast from the brightly-colored character-loaded images from other books and videos that fill our children's lives.

Children love colors, but wouldn't it be good to expose them to different things once in while?

I purchased this book for my family for Christmas. I found it absolutely beautiful! There is a short introduction in the beginning that tells the history of the poem. The drawings are exquisite and the binding is simply elegant. I love everything about this book! I intend to keep it in our family and pass it down for generations!

I received this book quickly and was pleased to see the pictures were exactly what I had hoped for and the words were exactly the ones used in the original "Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus".
My little 3 year old grandson listened intently as we read it to him. He wanted to see the pictures as the story was read and explained to him. This book will become a treasure of our family, to be read and re-read year after year.

My mother used to read me this poem every christmas eve which became a magical tradition. The book was misplaced in a move and my mother and i have not read it since I was young. So I ordered this version for her christmas this year and when it arrived I was more than pleased. The book is stunning in more ways than one, and the artwork really shows how magical and heartwarming the story is. I shall give it to my mother on christmas eve and I know she will treasure it.. as will my kids and there kids after them. This book without a doubt will become an heirloom. Wether you are looking for a new copy or buying twas the night before christmas for the first time, I highly recommend this version. Enjoy.

What is most interesting about this book -- which centers on the poetry of the Bedouin tribe of Awlad Ali -- is not the poetry per se, but that it gives an insider's view of the craft of Ethnography. It shows, through the eyes of a skilled ethnographer, and almost by indirection and in reverse order, how meaning is attached to cultures by the people who live in them.

By peeling back the skin of the Awlad Ali culture - one of the nomadic tribes that once hovered around the edge of the Western Egyptian Desert -- we learn, not just "the ways" of this and similar Nomadic tribes, but more generally, the steps needed to attach meaning to the onion called culture. This analysis reveals, layer-by-layer, the structure and texture of the Awlad Ali worldview. It also reveals the various ideologies that supported its construction.

The Awlad Ali tribe is a society based on blood kinship, on honor, and on a kind of fierce tribal autonomy and independence. And however abstract these categories may seem, and however much they may seem settled at birth, they are in fact constantly being re-negotiated in the tribe's everyday efforts to survive: "lived deeds" in the Awlad Ali culture always trump ascribed status and words. The culture has especially derogatory names and references to those who talk, but fail to act.

Moreover, cultural meaning and societal rules remain close to the ground: that is, closely attached to survival needs. Ascribed status - that is patrilineal genealogy, maleness, etc. definitely have a pride of place in the culture, but these do not settle the matter of status once and for all: What one does with these is the final arbiter of ones position and status within the tribe.

As an American peeping into another culture, what I learned in a somewhat painfully indirect way is that most of rest of the world - even primitive tribes -- still speak and relate to each other in the language of humanity: poetry, songs, prayer, proverbs, folklore, tales, myths, etc. To them, these are not mere cultural trinkets, ornamentations and affectations, to be tossed about during holidays, or to be commercialized and then tossed aside, or just the colorful tools used to promote a particular kind of politics or political organization, but they are the real meat of human discourse. They serve as the actual conduits through which deep human feelings are conveyed and transmitted.

As a backdrop to our own culture, there are at least two lessons to be learned (indirectly and in relief) from this book:

(1) That it is possible to construct a cultural worldview (a complete cosmology of meaning) entirely without the need for a category called "race" or without reference to the idea of a "religion." The author, who was Christian and a partly-white female, lived in the home of the tribe she was studying for two years, which was nominally Muslim, but with all of the many intersecting categories of meaning: race and religion, were never mentioned to her or ever played a role in tribal discourse.

(2) That we Americans live in a social world that is bereft of normal meaningful human attachments and discourse. In comparison to the Awlad Ali tribe, we live in a world of greatly diminished humanity in which racism, acquisition of things, commodification and consumerization of those things, rationalizations and political spin, false piety, rationing of intangibles qualities, knee-jerk bipartisanism, sublimated hatred, and artistic shallowness, are substitutes for real meaning.

Is this all just an inevitable part of modernity? It is difficult to know, but we must be grateful to this author for showing us with great skill that there are other images of, and paths to meaningfulness.

Ten Stars

the book is written by an american woman with mideastern roots -- she provides great insight into the traditionals of the bedouin and arab worlds. I read this before I went to Egypt and it provided great foundation for understanding the culture of the town and village. I like her writing style -- she makes anthopological analysis interesting by explaining in the context of her interactions with the bedouins.

I agree with the other reviewers. It was the best ethnography I can remember reading. What struck a chord with me was her description and explanation of the women's submission to the men, that the submissiveness was valuable only when it was voluntarily given. The idea of women being submissive to men is not only Islamic, but exists also in Christianity.

Lila Abu Lughod, an Arab American woman, lived among the Awlad Ali tribes of the North West of Egypt for two years. Veiled Sentiments is the book she wrote on the lives and poetry of Awlad Ali. Abu Lughod field work was clearly not carried out from a "superior" stance; she sympathized with her subjects and dealt with them as equal human beings rather than inferior specimen or cultures. Abu Lughod attitude, intelligence, training and tremendous analystical ability helped her in developing great insight and understanding of this fascinating culture.

Abu Lughod analysis of concepts such as "hishma" was truly incisive and shed a great deal of light on the nature of modesty between women and men and amongst men and women. The analysis seems to explain behaviors and norms witnessed elsewhere in Egypt and indeed other parts of the Middle East.

An important thesis of Abu Lughod is that the Awlad Ali people often communicated in very conservative and modest way directly through words; they only said what was proper and fitted the norms. Yet a second mode of communication far more true and expressive was found in their little songs or poems.

Abu Lughod discussed gender relation amongst Awlad Ali at length and the relationship between women and the families of their husbands and the society at large. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. For an excellent work on veiling and gender issues, I would recommend Leila Ahmed's Women & Gender in Islam.

"Veiled Sentiments" is academic. It is the outcome of the author's living in a Bedouin community in northern Egypt (the Western Desert) for two years, a feat of no mean proportions.

Lila Abu-Lughod came to a deep understanding of such aspects of the culture as blood ties, veiling and poetry not only because of her talent and training but also because she has ties to that culture. She calls academics like herself "halfies" because they belong both "inside and outside the communities they write about." She realizes that such a situation benefits them in terms of gathering knowledge within close cultures.

The veiling of women (or rather women's veiling of themselves) is an important topic because of recent events including world politics and of the ongoing research in feminism. It is also important because it is so often misunderstood and so difficult to understand even when it is explained.

After reading Abu-Lughod's renowned (in the world of academics) book, "Veiled Sentiments," I think I have a better handle on veiling than I ever would have had otherwise. It was not easy to absorb the concepts that surround it. That it took ¼ of a 315 page book to do it (a conservative estimate) is a testament to the intricacies of and the psychological motivations behind this cultural /religious practice.

Learning more about veiling alone made this study one well worth reading. But the surprise for both the reader, and-as explained by Ms. Abu-Lughod-the author herself is the discovery of this culture's use of poetry. To take it one step further, the insight into how societies in general (at least ours and that of the Bedouins) similarly use their poetry and relate to it.

Abu-Lughod finds that poetry is used somewhat differently among women in the Awlad ` Ali tribes than it is used by men. Because I am writing my own book of poetry called "Skyscapes: A Woman's View," I was especially interested in this aspect of "Sentiments;" it also was, by the author's own admission, an amazing and important cultural discovery. A group of women in China have their own secret language apart from the men; now this anthropologist brings to our attention how the poetry and veiling customs of these women reveal their emotions and are rooted in the traditions of a society in which they live quite separately from men.

Though this book is not meant for mainstream readers, I hope that many who have no ties to anthropology will make an effort to read it. I believe that women will find it especially interesting but men will also find pertinent information for today's political climate within its pages. No amount of travel could impart the depth of understanding of this culture, and-by extension-similar cultures that this book does.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of "This is the Place..." )