Poetry Books

While I prefer my first edition solely because of the layout, this second edition has several advantages. Where the first edition had short chapters on metrics, sonics and tropes, the second edition has more than doubled the material included and divided it into four levels - typographic, sonic, sensory and ideational.

Then comes the glory of this book - the book of forms with a form finder and wonderfully clear definitions of the form. The language of origin of the form, the basis of its metrical scheme (syllablic, accentual etc), a description of the metric and rhyme schemes and a very clear notation illustrating the scheme are given. Variants are cross-referenced or included. This material is basically the same as in the first edition. However, this book includes sample poems based on the structure as well as references in the text (unlike the appended bibliography of the first edition) of other poems in the form.

Anyone who is serious about poetry - either as a reader or a writer - should consider Turco's Book of Forms as an essential resource.

I had Lewis Turco in 1980 in my freshman year of college at Oswego State in New York. The original book was required for the poetry class I took with him, and though it was a slim paperback, held gobs of information about meter, rhyme, prosody and all the rest. The New Book of Forms is expanded, I'm sure after his teaching proved his previous work incomplete. (I teach my self, and am always revising my curriculum...) I am using the book this year in my own creative writing class (grades 9-12) and highly recommend it.

I've never seen the original Book of Forms, so I don't know whether this update is worth buying as a replacement, but I do know that the new version is an excellent tool for people like myself who are trying to make their poetry more technical.

It goes way beyond the typical "rhyme and meter" section in a creative-writing textbook; it gives lots of examples, some of which hold exactly to the forms and some of which deviate; and it gives appropriate cross-references. It also has a general discussion/glossary of poetry, and especially of formal poetry, so that you know what Turco's talking about when he starts referring to hendecasyllabic lines and so forth.

Really, I have no complaints about it at all. Even if you only intend to buy a few books on poetry, this one should definitely make the short list.

Turco has condensed the entire craft of poetry into less than 300 meaty pages, packed with vital info. If you're looking to learn about the mechanics of poems or just simply looking for something exciting to write besides sonnets, haiku, and free verse, this book WILL have what you need. It is a veritable fount of knowledge that will keep flowing even after your Muse has hit the road.

I've been thinking of buying a handbook of poetry for some time and decided that before I laid out any money I would survey the field at the public library. Having spent at least 10 to 12 hours in the past 3 months I conclude that this is the book to own. It's clearly and concisely written, it gives examples to illustrate the various forms and techniques (and references to further examples) and it is comprehensive. The only drawbacks are that it lacks a bibliography section where you can get a complete citation to the books and journals referred to in the text, and it lacks a comprehensive index.

I thoroughly enjoyed this play. I watched the film awhile back, and since I wanted to change choose different films for my Film Appreciation class, I decided to review the play before adding 'Night, Mother to my list. What a powerful play. It sheds light on a very difficult subject. Jesse, the main character, makes the decision to "get off the bus early" after careful thought. She shows that some people contemplate this critical experience probably more carefully than buying a house or a car. Her decision is hardly spontaneous or emotional, nothing that I imagined at all. The power of the read helped me to decide to buy the video later on. I also ended up buying a collection of Marsha Norman's other plays, hoping that I will duplicate the insight gained by reading this play.

"'night, Mother" is a tour de force conversation between a mother, Thelma, and her daughter, Jessie, who has just told her that she is going to commit suicide at the end of the night. The play is a taut high-wire act that leaves you spellbound as Thelma tries to convince her daughter not to go through with it and Jessie sternly insists. Thelma and Jessie are extremely dimensional, deep characters with an achingly believable relationship. Through the course of their conversation it becomes apparent that there is a yawning chasm between them despite their seeming closeness, and while Thelma thinks that the two can put it right Jessie doesn't believe it -- or want to try. The fierce, emotional back-and-forth between Mother and daughter keeps you on the edge of your seat. The dialogue is very natural and believable, and the playwright, Marsha Norman, displays an extraordinary acuity for what her characters are feeling and have gone through to reach this point. Norman has crafted a devastating portrait of two women that leaves an enormous impact on the reader. I only finished it two hours ago, but I seriously doubt that "night, Mother" will be leaving my thoughts any time soon. Highly recommended -- but keep the Kleenex on hand, just in case.

Marsha Norman's 1983 Pulitizer Prize-winning 'NIGHT, MOTHER is frequently described as a play "about suicide." Although the play does indeed deal with suicide, this is actually a shallow designation; it is about a lot of things, but most particularly control: who has it, who wants it, and the extent a person will go to obtain it.

The play involves two characters: Thelma, an elderly woman, and Jessie, her middle-aged daughter. They have lived together in an isolated house on a rural road for a number of years. Thelma describes herself as "a plain country woman;" she enjoys life in a fundamental way, not expecting more than she already knows, watching television, knitting, nibbling at sweets, and enjoying regular visits from her son and his family. Jessie, who suffers from epilepsy and is divorced, has become something of a recluse, and her life consists largely of managing her mother's home and thinking on the past. One evening, as the play begins, Jessie informs Thelma that she has decided to kill herself right after she gives Thelma her weekly manicure.

Thelma does not take Jessie seriously at first; clearly there have been too many scenes between the two for Jessie's statement to have any real meaning for her. But Jessie is serious indeed, and over the course of an hour and a half the play evolves into a battle of wits, Jessie determined to kill herself, Thelma equally determined to prevent her from it. In the process, we learn quite a bit about the family and their lives and the various emotional and factual secrets the women have hidden from each other over the years.

The play is brilliantly constructed, performed in "real time" without any scene changes or intermission; the characters--and the equally vivid people they discuss but whom we never see--are equally well rendered. There are moments are laughter, even more moments of insight, but the play is progressively intense, progressively dark, with all the power of a noose that slowly tightens around your neck. One of the most fearsome bits of theatre of the past thirty years or so, easily the equal of such legendary works as Albee's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This is one of my favorite plays of all time. it's a great discussion on the issue of suicide. There's one line Ive always remebered: When the daughter is trying to justify the idea that she wants to off herslef, and she uses an illustration of someone riding the bus and riding the bus, and they could just stay on and ride it around the block another round, but why bother. It's really well written, and how the mother and dauther get along is interesting.

*I did not read this, but saw it recently on Broadway at the Royale Theatre.

'night, Mother is a hell of a play. For a two person play, which takes place in real time, it is a moving decent into the demon world of two women, mother and daughter, co-dependents, best friends, enemies, like no other.

Jessie, the daughter is a woman deeply in pain, so much so that her capacity to live has gone, as has her capacity to love. Thelma is her mother, desperately clinging to the one person she loves, whom she needs more and more, and loses sight of more and more.

There were many sobs and sniffles in the audience towards the end of 'night, Mother, and though reading the script is different than seeing it performed by terrific actresses (Edie Falco as Jessie and Brenda Blethyn as Thelma), the story is good enough and in your face enough to do the job.

This is a play about when, if, why and how we stop being parents or kids, and start being our own people, or if that is even possible. Somewhat depressing, but serious and true.

Even though I have been more familiar with those well known Spanish romantic poets like Ruben Dario, Amado Nervo, Arciniegas, Neruda or even Becquer, I have found in Daniel Roth's poems kind of a new blossom and fragrance of human knowledge, human thoughts and all human passions. I have been deeply touched by two specific poems I found in Act III: "Who Will Pack My Boxes" and "Five Boxes" .These two poems written with an exquisite simplicity bring me back to the harsh reality of life.

With palpable sensuality and occasional whimsy, Daniel Roth takes the reader along with him on a deep and delightful journey through pain, passion, love, and wonder. His poems have a timeless, universal quality. I want to read them over and over. Enthralling!

These poems, particularly the most recent ones, are at once intimate and disclosing, yet raw and poignant. They actually draw the reader into the soul of the poet. Like Bukowski, Roth's poems can be blunt, hitting one in the stomach when least expected -- yet at the same time they are lyrical, even gentle. Roth's love poems to the mysterious, elusive A cut to the quick -- they make the reader ache with the poet's longing, hunger, senual overload and exhaustion.

A magnificent volume from a poet who tells us he has just emerged from the closet. Encore!

This is a remarkable collection of poems that flooded me with my own memories. A book to read and reread many times.

The poems are profoundly intimate and personal with pleasuable sensuality. Daniel's collection of 'reductive poetry' gives hope in our struggles towards collective human-ness...

Debbie Rogers is one of the most accomplished poets that I have ever known. Her way with words leaves you feeling like you have learnt a little more about life. I have enjoyed every one of her poems that I have read and would highly recomend this book for anyone.

Debbie Rogers has captured the heart and soul of human goodness in her new book"Patchwork Of Rymes" smiles and tear's, she has epitimized every emotion one could have and brought it to light beautifully, She has taken us to a higher path of spirituality and faith in a loving God in her book,No one should miss out on this book, It truelly is a must read, Mercee.

Debbie Rogers is one of the most talented poets I have ever had the privilege to read. Her simple, honest, and beautiful words will touch your heart, and bring smiles,tears and laughter.
This book is a MUST BUY for all poetry lovers.

I am very familiar with Mrs. Rogers poetic works. She is an accomplished poet and writer.
Here work arouses the emotions in the reader, which is essential any important poetic endeavor.
Mrs. Rogers has been writing poetry for years and is well known through-out the Poetry community.
If you like comprehensive and well composed poetry...don't miss this opportunity to buy one of
the most outstanding works on the Poetic market!

Jackie R. Kays

Author of; "The Stone Throwers" "To Die Alone" and "Desperado's Gold"

This book is the best peotry book out there and Im not just saying that because Debbie is my mother, i am saying it because I have read all her peotry and I have been there on all the occasions when the idea for a new poem came around. She is a beautiful woman, mother, and nana to all 6 granbabies and we all love her very much. Enjoy her book and many others that she will be getting out there for everyone to see. Love you mom!!

Sue Holt's poetry is truly inspirational. She shows how faith can overcome great difficulties, and that no matter what, survival is possible. Everyone will find strength in her poems.

Holt submerges her life experiences of manic depression within her deeply moving and inspirational poetry. Her language is dark and grabbing and she is a highly skilled poet at evoking pathos. This is my favorite book of poetry and I recommend it to anyone.

Sue Holt's book gathers dozens of vibrant poems. She has that gift which only great writers possess, that makes you very concerned about what she's talking about _in this case, mental illness_
A very emotional journey...

"Snot and Tears"

Sue Holt's portrayal of Jesus Christ is courageous to say the least. Sue admits to feeling no repentance to not describing Jesus' love through reverent verses in " Poems of Survival". Sue describes her encounters with God through "snot and tears", and makes no apology for the offence this may cause others, for Sue this was the reality surrounding her conversion to knowing the living God.
Sue knows that Jesus was with her in situations, which many may shy away from. To her Jesus is not the "untouchable" God often portrayed; He is her rock and deserves to be acknowledged through her painful choice of words. Sue knows you may find her reality uncomfortable, but her greatest wish is that you will discover the reality of God's love shining through her honesty.

Dark and uplifting poetry concentrating on manic depression, abuse, love, pity, bewilderment and love. Holt's Poetry gives you a frisson and puts a tear to your eye. Christianity gives her the faith to bounce back and rejoin life. Although it must be said that the writing process itself seems to have made a magic wand for us the reader as well.

I bought this book along with the 'Hours of Youth.' I really liked both collections and very similar to the second volume of work, I found the poetry in the first book to be a rich display of passion & intimacy and a deliverance of sheer literary music. Well worth the money spent.

Arman,

C'est Viktoriya. Je suis a Chicago et je cherche de toi, je voudrais te voir et parler avec toi.
J'attendrai ton lettre ou ton appel.

Et pour le "review", tu deja connais que j'adore ta poesie :)

A pretty decent book. I liked the first half more than the second half. I thought that the love poems were too cheesy and kinda read all the same. But still I would recommend it for the good ones that it contains.

An excellent collection with much character to it. I enjoyed the love poems quite a bit, though not all of them are as powerful in emotive strength as the others. But still this does not detract from the overall excellent style of the book.

This book is not like any particular current style that I have come across but still it reads with a modern voice almost dare I say, with a timeless voice, a transcending narrative of an age. I am not sure what to make of the book on the whole, but I liked many of the poems, especially the love poems a lot. I am not surprised that others liked them too.

I enjoyed every minute of this book. The poems are wonderful. I recommend this book to everyone. I acn't wait for more books from this author.

This book of poems are true snowflakes. Each and every one of them paint a picture that make our silent thoughts come to vision and insirational feelings. All the emotions we hold back in every day life flow from our hearts and eyes when read. This is a true treasure and I will cherish this book the rest of my life. It has hope, love, and light at the end of each tunnel.

This book touched my life in so many ways. I hope this writer has plans of another book or two. The words just melt your heart and help heal past ill feelings about life in general. He makes it so easy to see life in a BEAUTIFUL light. You'll Love this
book. His tribute to 9-11 was wonderful.

This book is MUCH more than I expected.. It is a TRUE TREASURE.
I loved it so much I have purchased 4 more for gifts to my dearest freinds. I know they will treasure this beautiful book of dreams, feelings, pictures that come from the words are so clear and just splended... This is a keeper on my coffee table for years to come. I want all of my visitors to enjoy such love and beauty.

Just BEAUTIFUL is the sum of the book. It allowed me to see life in a diffrent light and laught me to LOVE again. This is a MUST
for everyone I know. Well worth the money.

Phillip L. Woodall reaches and caresses the heart of the Vietnam veteran. His poetry pays vivid tribute to the great service, sacrifice and continuing wounds that grunts of that war bear. Having never been one for poetry for its own sake, I am surprised to discover that through Woodall's makes me relive the experiences, complete with sound and smell of war in the jungle, which is a much more powerful than memories. I'm honored to endorse this fine little volume.

Phillip L. Woodall reaches and caresses the heart of the Vietnam veteran. His poetry pays vivid tribute to the great service, sacrifice and continuing wounds that grunts of that war bear. Having never been one for poetry for its own sake, I am surprised to discover that through Woodall's makes me relive the experiences, complete with sound and smell of war in the jungle, which is a much more powerful than memories. I'm honored to endorse this fine little volume.

Although I don't usually read poetry, I was surprised when I opened this book and found it difficult to close. I have read a number of war stories, many of which were about Vietnam, the people who were there and their accounts of specific events that took place. Some of them tell very emotional stories of loss, sacrifice and friendship. But not until now have I read words that truly reveal the emotions that had merely been described in the past. Instead of showing events through the eyes of a soldier, Phil Woodall's verse allows the reader to feel a moment in time with the emotions of a human being trying very hard to comprehend what is happening to him and the people around him. As such, it is much less a book of poems about wars fought by soldiers on far away battlefields, and more about the battle that rages within the souls of those who fought them, and are still fighting them long after.

Rhymer In The Sunset is making me like poetry. I dislike poetry when it seems to ramble in search of rhyme, often at the expense of any sense of logic. My military mind likes order, discipline and symmetry. The author of Rhymer drew me into his head. His thoughts are those of a person during a lull in the battle. One lies there, waits, and his mind races. It took me back to Vietnam, jungle firefights, minutes of terror and hours of tedium. It is a great read.

I met the author of this book in 1965. He and I have been friends for over 35 years. When I met him, he was the highschool football team quarterback, basketball star, track star, and actually a pretty good student. I never never knew about his poetry writing until the year 2000. I could not read the whole book without crying from his sensitivity and descriptive choice of words to describe where he was and why he was there. Here are the words that a soldier wrote, here are the words of the son of a preacher, here are the words of a man that was willing to give the ulitmate sacrifice for the rest of us, and here are the words of someone we can never appreciate enough, because Phillip Woodall is writing the story of every soldier, son, and friend.

American playwrights aren't good at creating a career of playwriting. Why, I can't say. They write dynamically for a given period and then off they go into putting the holy bible on stage or some such epic. They become mystics, like Allen Ginsberg. Shepard wrote plays for a while and then, I think, Hollywood put the zap on him and he was gone. His occasional pieces today are weak imitations of his former self. Money and fame may be responsible. Who knows? Here gathered in a single anthology are the key works, on which his life's reputation rests. "True West" sets the stage: we have real dramatic conflict, exciting dialog (of the sort last heard in Albee's "Zoo Story"), and high theatricality. The rest of the anthology is well worth reading, but for my money Shepard wrote a fine short play but his long and longer pieces are less interesting. Shepard has said in interviews that he sees plays as an outlet for ideas. The problem as I see it is that he has none.

I like to call this collection Best of Shepard Vol. 1. This collection belongs in any actors collection. Sam Shepard is a true, unique American voice. His eccentric characters, sparse writing and classic plays. I've seen "Buried Child" on-Broadway and scenes from "Buried Child", "Curse of the Starving Class", "Savage Love" and "True West" in countless acting classes. One of America's greatest writers.

This collection of plays is extraordinary. Shepard threads tales of cartoonlike characters bound by the direst of circumstances excellently.

The basic text of the most exciting playwright of recent decades. The place to start when discovering the American drama as reader, actor, or teacher!

11th grade English Essay
Phillips Academy, Andover

"True West"

The play is about the struggle between modern society and more traditional ways of life. Lee and Austin represent two disconnected brothers with drastically different upbringings who have come to accept different norms. Against the growth of the city and the suburb, their spirit of the Wild West, though diminished, still exists. They steal and fight just like cowboys and highway robbers. Yet, both Lee and Austin are scared and frustrated. Lee doesn't know if he should try to blend into the new ways, and Austin doesn't know if he should go back to the old ways. And this play about two writers writing about the West is in itself a Western story. It has all the excitement and violence of a rider's life.

Who else would steal a dozen toasters and TVs? Austin and Lee were lawless and wild, daring enough to do anything. Austin's car is like a horse, and driving out is like going for a raid. "Lee enters abruptly into kitchen carrying a stolen TV set." The sentence has such an air of ease as if Lee entered with a Shopping bag. Stealing is no more than a normal part of Lee's life. He lives off of it, like those high-way riders who plunder by-passers in the old days. The wholesale raid of the toasters shows the wilder side of Austin." It was toasters you challenged me to. Only toasters. I ignored other temptation." He says to Lee after the thievery. These words make Austin sound like a warrior who has just beaten his rival in some major battle. The only irony is that the major battle was about stealing a dozen toasters. Austin is bragging about his lawlessness, and that is a very cowboy thing to do. Not only are these brothers such "professional" thief, they also are more than violent. From Lee "ax-chops(ing) at the typewriter using a nine-iron" to Austin trying to choke his brother with a telephone cord while their mom is standing on the side. It is hard to get worse than that. It is like a misplaced scene from a Old Western movie. Not only do these pair of thief like to kill each other, they also have that independence and individualism that Western heroic images render so forcefully. On top of living on the desert by himself, Lee also says "I don't sleep." , and does not seem to eat breakfast. "Do you Eat Breakfast?" "Look, don't worry about me pal. I can take care of myself." When Austin asks him if he needs any help with money, "Lee suddenly lungs at Austin, grabs him violently by the shirt and shakes him with tremendous power." Lee wants money, but he is going to get it by himself, not through his little brother. Lawless, violent, and independent, Lee and Austin are depicted in the play as the "True Western Heroes" borne at a wrong time. This, however, is only the first layer of the play. It makes the story entertaining, but not meaningful.

"Yappin' their fool heads off. They don't yap like that on the desert. They howl. These are city coyotes here." The deeper meaning of the play is about the difference between the city "coyotes" and the country "coyotes". The country "coyote", Lee, is older, lives on a desert, use to catch snakes, and uneducated. The city "coyote", Austin, is younger, writes screen plays, does not remember having ever caught snakes, and has an Ivy League education. The brothers grew up together, but went onto totally different paths of life. But they don't merely represent two disgruntled brothers, but the struggle between the different ways of life. In Austin's eyes, the place where they used to live is "built up", but in Lee's eyes, the place has been "wiped out". But the struggle is not that simple. At the same time of feeling deep nostalgia, and refusing to adapt to the new way with help from his brother, because "it is too cold up there." , Lee also says the new houses that he saw were "like a paradise" with "Blonde people movin' in and outa' the rooms." Lee is deeply rooted in the old way of life and very unprepared socially and mentally for anything other than roaming around and stealing things. He likes comfort like anyone else, but the life of those living in those houses is like "paradise". They are far and aloft, and are not in his reach. Lee wants to write something to change his life, and Austin tells him that he can really turn things around and buy a ranch. Lee's excitement was obvious, " (laughs) A ranch? I could get a ranch?" We can see that it is very clear that even when Lee tries to change, he is only trying to change back to the old ways. Austin at the end of the play suddenly made a deal with Lee asking his brother to bring him to the desert. This shows the conflict at the other end of spectrum. Austin has more money, and has a seemingly good life. But is he really happy? Is his frustration with life any less than Lee's? No. The society that he has so well adapted to is of little comfort to him. He tries for years to get a screenplay to production, but at the whim of an executive, the deal goes to his brother. Austin is frustrated, and though he types betters, suffers as much. Lee asks Austin "maybe we're too intelligent..... One of us has even got a Ivy League Diploma. Now that means somethin' don't it?" But no, it doesn't mean as much as it seems.

The truth is, the old West as it was disappeared long ago. It is no longer filled with rugged mountains, uncharted rivers, cowboy hats, and one does not have the freedom to roam around for thousands of miles with only wild animals as his companion anymore. The untamed natural world went away a hundred years ago with the railroads, and has been changing even more ever since. It is sad to see the past go by for those who grew up as a part of it. Faced with new situations, some of these people try to adapt, some have no chance to adapt, and some don't even want to adapt. And for those who have adapted, they wonder if the decision to change in the first place was valid after all. They wonder if they should go back. That poor Lee had no chance to adapt. He was left out by progresses, and envies dearly the seemingly much more comfortable life that others have. Austin at the same time is in the mainstream of modern life, but he is just as troubled and depressed by commercialism. However, within all these confusions and fightings, all these differences and changes, there is something that has always stayed the same, and that is the true spirit of the West, the "True West". The motivation for people to go to the West in the first place is also the motivation that made the world more modernized. The struggles that the first settlers of the West faced were no different from the struggles that people now face as they move into new ways of life. That spirit is not limited to time nor place, it is about the fundamental human eagerness for new and for more, and at the same time, the unquenchable ties to the past.

...even if you're not a middle-aged Jewish hip, sexy mom who works in entertainment and knows the author and also has a big, crazy 'meshpucha!' Go ahead. Read. Enjoy. Eat.

prjayne

This is a good book to pick up and enjoy.

This was such a fun review of insider, contemporary politics - even though we all know there are trials and tribulations in the political arena, Iris offers such a refreshing insider review of what it takes to be a true "Schlepper". My entire family has read this book and loved it. My new motto is "Have you read my resume?" I plan to use it in a meetng or two in months to come.
She meets the challenges with the chutzpah I only wish I had! Thanks for the enjoyable read. BTW, read this while on a cruise to Alaska and shared your tales with many folks we met. Wish you could have been there.

Schlepper is a smart, sassy look behind the scenes of presidential politics. I always wondered what went on in those smoke filled rooms. Now I know.

Prepare for the campaign season -- read Schlepper.

This is a book about the people in Presidential camapigns and what they go through. What Iris Burnett doesn't know about campaign politics isn't worth knowing. And, yet, she sees the humanity of it all. And still she loves it for what can be accomplished to help ordinary people. She made me laugh out of sheer recognition of the truth. Buy this book today. You will be hooked by the end of page two.