Poetry Books

There are many wonderful introductions to the work, life and ideas of Thich Nhat Hanh, and this is both one of the more unexpected, and one of the finest.

CALL ME BY MY TRUE NAMES is a comprehensive collection of Thich Nhat Hanh's poetry, presented here with occasional brief comments from the author following many of the poems. I initially purchased this for the comparatively famous title piece, which is a work of extraordinary moral power, and also of extraordinary literary control.

From start to finish here, the writing is economical and plainspoken - but not 'plain': to draw feeble Western connections, this is a distant stylistic cousin to the likes of Dickens, or perhaps Steinbeck - rather than resort to gimmicks, or technical flash, Thich Nhat Hanh has the respect or confidence in his own voice (or the voices of characters) to allow that voice clear expression.

Thus, a collection of dignity and skill. The Vietnamese Zen ideals and ideas Thich Nhat Hanh has been developing, exploring and living for decades are expressed with precision and grace, and he doesn't have to ask for a readers' interest - this work sparkles with calm dignity and life.

-David Alston

We were there the day Thich Nhat Hanh gave his lecture at Grace Cathedral. We were there, simply enough, praying in thebold Cathedral at the top of Nob Hill, having just stopped in to get out of the chilly fog on a windswept afternoon. People with dark suits and lengths of lavender ribbons were festooning the nave and aisles of the church with color and flowers, and placed a large jar of proteus on the podium floor. We later discovered that proteus was the favorite flower of Thich Nhat Hanh, and you can hear him croon with pleasure on the tape about the flowers, and if you do not understand the reference immediately, he's talking about how he sees proteus all over the world, so it's like a universal symbol of love.

We soon found out that Thich Nhat Hanh and his organization had sold tickets to hear this lecture but miracle of miracles, they did not kick us out, but allowed us to stay even though we did not pay the minimal fees charged. And what a lecture, filled with poetry and the pedagogy of love. By the time we went outside, the sun had burst out, and you could see a rainbow towering over Nob Hill with one end buried in the Mission and the other by Coit Tower. Afterwards we saw Thich Nhat Hanh, accompanied by two children, scampering through the famous maze in the pavement in front of Grace Cathedral. With glee they negotiated the twists and turns that baffle Western man.

This book is something special. Call me by my true names is more than a collection of poems by some crusty old Zen guy. The author's clarity and enlightening style have cut through my muddy mind like a knife through butter. I sit here covered in Goosebumps because Thich Nhat Hahn's poetry resonates with the voice of Buddha.

Call me by my true names is nothing short of spectacular.

His simple words reveal an ocean of truth of miseries, hopes, memories & dreams a normal citizen had, when Vietnam was bleeding.It also has all the good things that we have ever heard from elders or read somewhere. Simple yet powerful this collection is a close encounter with nature and life.

As many of us may (or may not) be aware, Nhat Hanh is at once a renowned Buddhist monk, a poet, and activist for peace; especially peace sought after during war time. This particular book brings together a collection of 100+ poems he has written and orated over 40 years. Each one gives the reader a glimpse into the very heart of this real life bodhisattva. Call Me By My True Names is perhaps one of his most profound and important, for it penetrates one's dualistic mode of thinking to the point of acknowledging all nature is within my own nature. True understanding stems from realizing there is no other in a traditional sense. What there should only be is, "How can I help this world?" Call Me By My True Names is awe-inspiring, one of the most powerful texts on interconnection and being I've ever happened to read. And simple, so clear.

This book covers practically every aspect of a spiritual life in it's contents, and it is my wish you will buy it. It should be on all beings shelves, for it's prose is delivered deep from the heart of a modern bodhisattva.

Judy Jordan, Carolina Ghost Woods (Louisiana State University Press, 2000)

Judy Jordan writes dense, exquisite poems that both shock and satisfy, while making you feel vaguely like taking a shower afterwards.

"...it informs the toads,
crouches them in crooked caves of alder roots,
pulses the pale skin under their slack mouths,
keeps them in the pond's tight waves clutching anything:
a pine's resinous knot, a fist of chair foam,
even a drowned and legless female."
("Long Drop to Black Water")

I loved this book; very easy to see why it won the National Book Critics' Circle Awards, though I have to admit I'm somewhat surprised that they received such heavy subject matter with such aplomb. This one's definitely a keeper. ****

I pulled Judy Jordan's "Carolina Ghost Woods" off my bookshelf again tonight. It's a cold and clear here in the deep south and Jordan's poetry called to me in the wind. "Carolina Ghost Woods" was first published in 1996 by Louisiana State University Press, and Jordan writes that she submitted this book for three years as a "first book" before it was awarded the Walt Whitman Award in 1999. The first poem, "Sharecropper's Grave" sets the tone:

The night is hoot owls, wind-whistled flue, babies bundled in burlap.
Breath of another child, mid-gasp.

The alliteration causes the reader to shiver in the cold and continues throughout this poem:

Small holes, secret graves,
children scattered around the iron fence.
Not even a scratched stone. . .
The night full of cries they will never make.
To read the title poem,"Carolina Ghost Woods" is to travel into the mythos of the south, to hear what the dead whisper,
When the leaves shudder to the muddy ground
and snow under the gutters puddles red,
when the bird lifts, the rabbit shivers in clumped grass
and the fox shrinks into the bramble,
when the shadow crosses the pitchfork's broken handle
and the hinges of the shed door rust,
let me believe someone is there.

Each poem in the book reveals another story from Judy Jordan's life. They are woven together to bring the reader through the death of her mother and the violence of being on the streets, homeless. Ms. Jordan joins the reader in this journey with her breath and voice and we walk the ghost woods together.

Buy the book and settle down with a fire in the fireplace and the lights dim, read "Caroline Ghost Woods" from start to finish . . . you won't regret it.

As a creative writing student at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale I was immediately fascinated with the program's newest addition. Already the school boasted the great Rodney Jones. And I began reading SIUC's newest professor/poet Judy Jordan. After several readings, I am still amazed. Whether it be the remarkable, pain-staking craft or the soul-drenching childhood and early adulthood that she narrates with such originality and heart-thrashing grief, Jordan simply takes your breath away.

This collection, unbelievably a debut, doesn't just grip the reader with it's wrenching family tragedies. The music, sounds, carefully sought words (both for sound, connotation and meaning) and an ambition leaning towards the transcendent makes for a potent statement.

Currently, I am enrolled in a poetry course with Ms. Jordan. Let this not be a bias in my review. I admit am unabashedly biased towards male poets. For whatever reason, I can see through the eyes of a Rodney Jones or a James Wright easier. However, Jordan's book truly strikes a chord with me. It doesn't beg for pity. It doesn't make the predictable turns. It endeavors for something more. In addition to pain, guilt and embarassment, it finds joy, hope and transcendence in this person's impoverished, tragic past. It bears minor resemblances to the work of her former teacher, Charles Wright, as well as carrying influences of poets she's worked around in the past: namely James Kimbrell and Donald Platt. But as their style is of their own, so is hers'. And Jordan's ability at true poetic craft, rhapsodic forms and ear for human dilemma is more than original, it is ground-breaking.

During a time when poetry's popularity is at an all-time low, fresh work from the likes of Jordan and Kimbrell are keeping the medium alive. There is something very spiritual in this movement. I only hope, that when my time comes, I can be a part of it.

By happenstance we were introduced to this wonderful volume on an airplane, sitting next to author, Judy Jordan. She allowed me to leaf through her worn copy. While reading I asked her questions that were possibly painful, so moved was I by such honest and harsh and beautiful reflection and observation. Her words wrestled me into my own honesty/my own memoirs of observing violence/ of the solace of winter and of the woods and geese. The writing does justice to itself. This book is a gift of insight. No superlatives can I use other than to say, this is one of my all time keepers.

While it's true that Jordan's technique seems a bit thick with "borrowings" from Charles Wright, her actual material (and her treatment of it) is wildly original. This book is shocking, heart-wrenching and, at times, almost unbearably beautiful. An urgent and necessary voice.

The poem is an old favorite. The illustrations fit the time of the work. My 5- and 3- year olds enjoyed it as well.

Casey at the Bat tells about mighty Casey and his missing 2 strikes - like messing up in life.

This is by far the best rendition/publication of this poem that I've ever seen. The combination of the real-life looking people, but have their legs look like pencils, is quite humerous. Our particular favorite is the smoke coming from Casey's ears when he has struck out twice. The pictures in this book greatly enhance the story. Especially when Casey is standing there examining his fingernails on the first strike. Pretty cute and funny stuff.

Grab this book for all the young ball players you know - it really tells a nice tale of always doing your best, no matter how good you get at whatever you do. It made my little guy pretty sad to read this book/poem, but it definitely opens the door to emphasizing the importance of always doing your best. Highly recommend!

Thayer's classic ballad, `Casey at the Bat,' is greatly enhanced by Patricia Polacco's brilliantly achieved, big-hearted illustrations. Ms. Polacco captures emotion, action, and character through wittily exaggerated, slightly loopy pictures, and through lots of uncrowded background shenanigans. It's very cinematic: She effectively isolates action through extreme close-ups, and extends time through a montage of events occurring within a single picture. Like the auteur she is, she even adds some opening and closing story elements (while leaving the poem intact) that augment the poem's appeal to the younger reader.

This book is simply great fun to read aloud; you'll find yourself wanting to memorize its evocative imagery and epic aspirations:

"Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongue applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip."

You and your youngsters will love the humor and the drama in this a classic rendition of Thayer's beloved poem. Infants and toddlers will enjoy the bright pictures, and all readers will appreciate the perfect teaming of Thayer and Polacco.

I thought this was a wonderful book. I enjoyed Thayers use of poetry to exrpress the emotion in the story. The language used in the text is of very high quality and when read by an adult to a child, the child is able to thourghly understand. The illustrations play an important role with the text. They not only enrich the text, but they tell a story in itself. We can feel the emotion of the players and the crowd through Polacco's work. Overall I thought this was a wonderful book and reccomend it to a child of any age.

Awesome Book! Both my son and daughter love it. The artwork is fantastic and the story very entertaining.

I don't know about you, but sequels scare me. Particularly sequels written by other people. Too easy for things to go horribly wrong.

This book is clearly written by someone who loves and understands Casey at the Bat. Also by someone who loves the sound of language--the rhymes are beautiful and surprising. And there's a lot of heart in this story. Gutman speculates on the feelings of the baseball fans for Casey, on world history, on the fate of the dinosaurs, all in a beautfully absurd way.

The illustrations have an old-time feel but are done with a modern sense of humor, and add a great deal to an already great story. Hooray!

My son absolutely loves Casey At the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888 (Caldecott Honor Book), by Christopher Bing, so when I saw this book I purchased it immediately.

The original poem coupled with Bing's amazing illustrations are a tough act to follow, but Gutman does a good job. The paintings and story are more contemporary, but the author and illustrator pull it off.

Like the original poem, the ending will surprise you. A nice effort that will hold up nicely in any children's book collection.

Both my boys, ages 4 and 5, fell in love with Casey at Bat last year while listening to it on the Poetry Speaks to Children CD. Since then we have purchased several versions of the poem and my 5 year old son has even memorized most of the poem, which has sparked a love of baseball.

When we stumbled upon this book I immediately purchased it and am certainly not disappointed. My sons were enamored by the illustration of the Might Casey and his very strong, intimidating demeanor. They were delightfully taken by the women; one who thought he was handsome and one who thought he was a jerk. What expression! The travels the ball goes on is exciting and adds adventure to an otherwise predictable outcome.
I would recommend Casey at Bat to those wishing to introduce their children to drama and excitement of baseball and definitely follow-up with this very exciting sequel.

As Spring training approaches, many kids will focus on the game of baseball. Adults, nostalgic about the sport in its more pristine state, may grab a DVD of "Field of Dreams," or search for a version of Ernest Thayer's classic ballad, "Casey at the Bat." `Casey' has been re-tooled many times, most notably by Patricia Polacco in her Little League Version, and illustrator Christoper Bing's recreation of a vintage book, complete with yellowed pages, old newspaper ads and articles, period uniforms and baseball equipment, and other ephemera.

Gutman, a longtime writer of baseball-themed books, takes the mythic Casey one step further than most. Casey is pretty much the same fellow we've come to expect, without the emphasis on his savagery or `lip-curling' swagger. He's broad-shouldered and strong-jawed, looking like a heavily muscled Gregory Peck. Guttman doesn't focus on Casey, but rather on the mythic aspects, exploding them with fanciful exaggeration and humor:

"His arms, his legs, his neck, his lips--his teeth had muscles too.
They rippled from his little toe up to his eyes of blue.
He sneered, he snarled at Mudville's foes, then threw the fans a smirk.
Some ladies found him handsome. Some thought he was a jerk.


Gutman departs from the original story on the third pitch to Casey: Instead of the tragic strike three, Casey hits ("whacks" and "cracks") the ball right out of the park, and into a fantasy flight that propels the rest of the book. Casey looks rather mundane in comparison, In its gravity-defying flight, the ball "crossed the great Atlantic," and makes history.. It strikes a certain tower in Pisa, Italy, causing it to lean, takes off the nose of the Sphinx, does an Einstein-ian 4th dimensional trip back in time to the dinosaurs ("The creatures were so terrified, so underground they slinked, and now you know how dinosaurs, in fact, became extinct.")

Finally, after this long, strange trip, the ball descends back to Mudville, and just as Casey tells an interviewer that `it's all in the wrists,' it lands smack in the glove of a shortstop still on the field. The denouement (which comes and goes a little too quickly) puts Casey back in his place, for as surely as Lucy pulls away Charlie Brown's football, Casey must be out--a fly out, but still an out.

The illustrators switch to a night game for some dramatic light contrasts, but also use the newspaper ad and vintage catalogue gimmick in extremis: The ads pattern the players' uniforms and the ballpark walls (which at least makes sense). They "antique" the pages, but with more subtlety than Bing, and the poses and compositions have a nice dynamism.

"Casey Back at Bat" has tightly constructed rhymes and dramatic illustrations. Gutman writes superbly for his audience, as always, and the humor sparkles. The book distorts--rather than subverts--the Casey narrative, and so it's probably more appropriate for toddlers and early elementary school than for kids a bit older. An anti-hero `Casey' has still not been written, but perhaps some legends are just too sacrosanct to turn inside out.

There is a reason Robert Louis Stevenson is so well-remembered. He had a knack for finding the right word in the right place, and his poems about childhood always hit the right spot.

The illustrations in this book complement the rhymes perfectly.

Please note that this edition is oversized, and it may be difficult to put on your bookshelf.

The illustrations are bright and engaging, complementing the poems nicely. My 4 yo and 2 yo love this book!

This book is pure magic. The Provensons' beautiful artwork has been etched onto my brain from early childhood. Stevenson's beautiful verses coupled with the delightful illustrations make this book truly magical. You will love this book!!!!

Imagine my happiness when I found a copy of the book that night after night my mother had read to me as a child in the late 50s and early 60s - My copy had long fallen apart but this was the correct edition and as I opened the pages the illustrations welcomed me like old friends. I got the flu and my husband kindly read the entire book to me and then next time my Mom came to visit I read a few to her and watched her smile.

Expose a child to this book and they will develop a love of poetry, the whimiscal and when you watch Rocky and Bullwinkle next time you will know where Bullwinkle gets all the poems that he recites !

I was skeptical that he'd like this book when he found it,
believing my 2 year old was a bit young for poetry beyond
Dr. Seuss. But he loves the sound and rhythm of the words
as well as the pictures in my old Golden Book edition,
and asks for it nearly every day now. For myself it's a
nice change from the usual kids books.

I read and reread this book as a youth. The stories read much like classic fairy tales with tragedy, irony, and moral lessons. The writing is very accessible and encouraged me to seek out the full length "stories" in their original (play script) form once I was old enough (6th/7th grade) to really read them.

For a child who has a love of literature, these retellings of the great plays may start a life-long interest in Shakespeare's art (as they did for me).

This book provides lots of Shakespeare's Storys like "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and "Hamlet" with a children's fairy tale twist. The storys are the same as Shakespeare's, but easier for children to understand. My favorite story was Hamlet because I had just seen the play. A while after we read Children's Shakespeare and it helped me to understand Hamlet better.

Romeo and Juliet

Felipe Gravier and Lorenzo Schiavo review:

We think that Romeo and Juliet tells the story of two star-crossed lovers whose families are in a terrible fight which prevents them from coming together. How far the couple will go to be together becomes the focus of the story. Of his richest poetry. The opening and closing choruses are some of his most outstanding work. Romeo's It is a brilliant love story but not much more. It still possesses however some wooing of Juliet is fabulously written. The Friar gets the best lines. Mercutio is one the best friends of Romeo. It is not as good as Shakespeare has written but it's still a fabulous book and up there with his best work. One part of the play we didn't like was that for the tow families get arrange there two kids had to die.
The English language wasn't finally finished so Shakespeare had the liberty to create words and play with the language, as he liked. That's why It was so difficult to understand what each character wanted to express so the teacher had to explain us each of that words and teach us all the words in that age and told us which were the words in the English of today.

This book is loads of fun! I bought it for my third grader, who is taking a field trip to see "Romeo and Juliet." I wanted him to have some familiarity with the storyline so he wouldn't be yawning cluelessly by the end of Act I. He loved it so much he wanted to discuss it! Even my husband who hates to read the stuff enjoyed it.
In short, the book is well done. It shortens the plays into a very long story-summary without the dramatic language that can be somewhat of a distraction. We're not talking Cliff's Notes here folks. This is just a handful of pages per play written on a level anyone can understand and enjoy. The book is not long so it's not intimidating. (Have you seen any books containing Shakespeare's complete works, lately? Mine could be used for a doorstop! It's huge!)
We paired this book with the comedy of "The Reduced Shakespeare Company's" version of Romeo and Juliet. My son is actually looking forward to the trip!

Shakespeare is for kids and adults in E. Nesbit's creative mind. I always liked fairy tales, but I couldn't read Shakespeare very well. In Children's Shakespeare E. Nesbit turned his work into fairy tales without changing the story and morals. This book is not much like Nesbit's other books because it was written by Shakespeare, but I bet there are some simularities.

This book was a overall well writen book and I beleive E. Nesbit put a lot of hard work into her books in her life-time. I'm sure if she were alive now she would still be writing good books to this day.

This was one of my favorite books as a child, and I still remember many of the rhymes to this day. I plan to read it to my little one on they way, and I have recently bought copies for all my pregnant friends. It was a hit at the last baby shower! Wouldn't you rather share with your children that when Humpty Dumpty fell, that God was able to put him back together? This is truly a treasure!

I loved this book as a kid, and have it at my Mom's house. We used to read them together for hours. I remember the characters vividly, even telling my husband some of the stories. Now that I am expecting my first, I want to buy him/her a copy so that I can share it with my children also!

I loved this book for my son when he was little. It teaches positive, Christian principles without being preachy, and it is a good alternative to traditional nursery rhymes, which don't really teach much of anything at all.

I enjoyed reading this book to my children 25 years ago. Now that they have their own children (...)and they have asked for it for their children. I am a bit jealous that they will get such a bigger book with more content, but thrilled that I can share this not only with my children but also with my grandchildren. It is a joy to find Bible-based ideas in our favorite nursery rhymes!!

My husband bought this book for us this past spring. My children, who are almost 2 and almost 4, both love this book. I am glad to have found a book that encourages the values that I am trying to teach them, such as honesty, being helpful to others, and other similar values. I recomend this book to anyone who has children, young or older.

This is one of the best audiobooks I've ever encountered. I purchased it years ago and have listened over and over - probably ten times over five years - and each time I get more out of it. Spiritual truths are rarely presented with such complete clarity, compassion, and fearlessness. As a voracious reader, a poet, and a spiritual growth/self development obsessive, I can think of few programs that are more helpful.

The crazy thing is ... this is not self help. This is just plain old fashioned bold living. David Whyte is an inspiration, and all of his books and audio programs are more than worth the pittance you spend. Whether you are interested primarily in the poetry he reviews so well or in the "living on the frontier of your life" he teaches, you will find tremendous value in giving this a good long listening.

Fair warning: this is not pablum, and not for the faint of heart. Approach this material with a still, receptive mind and an environment free of distractions. Between his melodious voice, the intensely rich material, and the powerful passions he is capable of calling forth in you, this is not something to be listened to as background for your life. I like listening while I clean the house or take long road trips alone. Or, as I first did, listening with my very elderly, wise, witty grandparents in their warm living room in Vermont with snow falling outside in soft blankets. That was, I think, heaven.

I have been converted to the work of David Whyte. I am really impressed with this man's passion, insight and clarity. I have not listened to all these CD's as I purchased his 'Midlife and the Great Unknown' and have been engrossed with this first.

A word of advice. That these CD's do not have tracks and each CD is a single track. This makes finding favourite sections a real chore. I am both disappointed in this, and that at least one of these CD's is an exact replica of the other CD mentioned above, BUT with the addition of this edit issue. The other CD is easier to drive. If you're not familiar with the beautiful work of David Whyte, and if you like more than one track on each CD, then try 'Midlife and the Great Unknown' first.

Don't buy this CD unless you are ready to take a spiritual journey with David that travels straight into your heart through your soul and expands out into the universe. It was very difficult for me, but I was finally able to hand it to a very dear friend of mine to share with him. I did not want to let it go. When you listen to David's Clear Mind, Wild Heart, you can feel your heart opening in a sigh of relief, safe, full of love and ready to risk. If you have come across this CD and reading this you were meant to. Peace and Namaste.
:)

These CDs put me in mind of an American friend who once said that she wasn't interested in anyone not transforming themselves. They've been spinning in my diskman ever since arriving in the post, and I've been listening to them during my long seaside walks, which is when I slough my skins.

In my view, the language of transformation has been devalued by the self-help industry. It's been so bled of meaning or beauty or both that it's of no use to any of us anymore.

Whyte has directed me towards a language that'll always have blood in its veins, and that's sharp still - the language in poetry. There're no easy slogans here, no pastiched wisdom. Nor are there any gags or attention-grabbers or bullet-points of formulaic action. Whyte just rolls on like a sea lapping steadily at the shore; he gives the listener an ocean of language to contemplate, to immerse themselves in - it's up to you to find what you need for whatever transformation you're currently attempting. His words are generous, intelligent, considered, and often deeply moving. Plus there are dozens of "eureka!" moments to be had: one of mine was when I first heard him say, "I think that boredom is a failure of the imagination." Another was when he introduced then read Yeats' poem "Song of wandering Aengus."
He's not saying much that's new - but he speaks with an eloquence that has woken me up. And he has a lovely voice, and speaks with a soothing cadence.

Buy these CDs. It's worth it.

New to David Whyte, but always seeking inspiration and meaning, passion and depth, when a friend lent me a cd of his I couldn't believe my ears. It's like magic: the kind of speaking that is from the soul and the heart, filled with wisdom of his own insight and the insight of writers through the ages.

If you're reading this, you must find a way to hear him read poetry. He reads like no one I've ever heard before. Repeating lines with different inflection, tone, volume. David's as alive in his voice as Yo Yo Ma is in cello playing. He's changed the way I recite poetry for good.

This particular CD set was worth every dollar of the $44 it cost. It catalyzed my own poetry writing it was so inspiring.

SMARTISH PACE remarks on "Egan's brave choice of form in a time when the designation 'new formalist' threatens to pigeonhole her work. But no formulated phrase can pin Egan's poem to the wall." This is true, as is the fact that it is language itself and not theme or narrative that draws us in to these poems and holds us there the way, as Egan herself writes, "he held me--a lover's lie, a dying friend, /the nights too drunk and dark/ for any arms but his to understand."

Not just brilliant, not just sensual, Moira Egan's "Cleave" is the rare art through which words express something seemingly inexpressable. Beyond mere categories, beyond mere emotions, she captures experience itself, by turns glorious, bland, and miserable. And this conclusion I reached before I even reflected on the collection's structure, a helix of the semantic idiosyncrasies that a single word is capable of serving up to us. As Moira Egan puts it in her poem "Love & Death," "How else to express the brazen philosophy, the teleology of flesh beyond love, the ontology of sex that can lead to death?"

In case you couldn't tell, I liked it--a lot.

I was delighted to find Moira Egan's book after enjoying her poems in magazines like Poetry, West Branch, and Literal Latte. She truly writes for the heart, the brain, and the rest of the body all at once. Cleave will not only please fans like myself, but will also introduce her witty, deft, and thoughtfully accomplished poems to a new crop of lucky readers.

"Poets are born, not made" they say and Moira Egan is one. (And the daughter of one.) They also say "true art conceals artifice" and that magic is no where more present than from cover to cover in the master-crafted poems of Cleave. BUT--and this is the part I love--every once and a while she coyly lifts the skirt of her craft to reveal a far more broken and beautiful world than any well-behaved surface could withstand. That is the push, pull doubleness, the seduction of Cleave.

Moira Egan is one of the few neo-formalists whose lush, exquisitely crafted, risk-taking poetry evokes words like "juicy" rather than "fusty." Rooted thematically in all the major meanings of "cleave" (including the seemingly opposite "adhere to" and "divide"), Egan's poetry's rich language explores both meaning and sound with intellectual and artistic profundity, yet manages to speak to a reader's human-ness and (I'll just go ahead and dare to say it--)to GIVE PLEASURE. YES, EVEN ENTERTAIN.

--Clarinda Harriss
Professor of English, Towson University
Editor/director of BrickHouse Books, Inc.

I have both of August's books and I enjoy them both very much. GREAT JOB!!!!!!! When is the nexted one coming? :)

This man observes things. What does he see? Well, I'll have to let you find out for yourself, but it's a truthful, pointed world that poet looks out over. But not so much with the black views one would expect in a fin de siecle world. Coyote laughs at us. And at himself. So take a gander, and se what this coffee house troller has sen and has to say about it.

Let's be honest, I wrote every word too.

My only problem with August's poetry is that I do not much like poetry. So can I call it something else ? How bout a stunning glittery collection of short art words ? Beautiful songs with out music ? A joyous thundering heard of words ? Anyway I LOVE this stuff. On my last little trip to NY I took Augusts book To Grenwitch Village and read it in a coffee house [ Please do not tell August it was a Starbucks.] Just to my special friend. I was wearing my black Beret' and dark glasses. She clicked her fingers in applause and sweetly smiled. I LOVE his stuff. BEAT BABY !

August is a very powerful author, his poems are heartfelt and genuine. This book is wonderful! It is a must read...even if you are not a fan of the arts!