James Tate Books

It is with the Shroud of the Gnome that Tate seems to have matured-- here is the blending of his poignant early voice and the talent of the later comic linguist. In the poem "Smart" he employs imaginatively catchy opening lines: "I had a theory for a while, but I had to let it go. / It was wasting away in captivity. / It sat there in the cage of my brain and wouldn't eat." This is Tate's gift for rare, humorous metaphor once more. Slightly off-center and yet understandable enough that you can identify the image as that of a poem never fully written or realized.

In "Dream On" he calls to the poet and the poetry lover alike: "Some people go their whole lives / without ever writing a single poem. / Extraordinary people who don't hesitate / to cut somebody's heart or skull open." In "At the Days End Motel" he reflects on life in lines like: "Down the road, about a quarter of a mile, a tractor trailer / jackknifed and took a station wagon and a minibus / with it straight to hell where they had some / remarkably good carrot cake." Here Tate is again the thought provoking poet. Surreal and abstract language create dense imagery that enhances the already edgy substance of Tate's language.

Tate has been called a standup comic of poetry, yet this is, to me, wherein his genius lies. If he can make us look closer at our world, our limitations and our potentials and at the same time tease us with a fresh look at our own language, then he deserves our attention.

Trying to live without this book is like trying to walk in shoes without your feet in them. Meaning, each poem is like a little exhortation to fall asleep at crucial intersections. Dream replacement therapy. You will absolutely love this book, or we'll come and stuff you full of numinal cheesecake.

This is early work by Tate. It is austere, passionate, extraordinary poetry. 20 years and more after first reading it, I will be driving or walking or dozing, and its lines will return with unparalleled power, as if I were reading it while in the car, on the street, or sleeping.

I actually used this book as a source for a college paper. It is one of few resources out there if you are interested in Augusta Savage. I thought it was fun, but of course would recommend it for late Elemantary School to Junior High in normal situations.

this is a great book I could not put it down till I had read the whole
book.It is very very good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I purchased this book at SeaWorld, along with Stevie B. Seahorse, for my 4 year old. It's an extremely captivating little story, packed full of solid science content conveyed through the action of the tale -- not in an encyclopedic fashion. The writing is clear and easy to understand, and includes only a couple of challenging vocabulary words which are well explained. The drawings are great, too! My child wants to hear the story over and over, and asks lots of questions along the way. I plan on buying the entire Nature Series by Tate -- it's a wonderful way to teach marine science to preschoolers through grade K.

One of the best books of poetry written. As entertaining and reflective as it gets.

Disclosure: I know James Meyer and I've met Sir Howard. But I've also been a genuine fan of Hodgkin's for some time, and I've followed how his work has been presented over the years. Often it's unusually hard to get a sense of what his pictures are like from reproductions. This is partly because the paintings tend to look much bigger than they are, but it's also because in the past the separations and printing haven't gotten the colors right. I know this isn't easy because his colors are often very saturated -- well, anyway, the Tate obviously put a lot of care into this book, and it looks stunning. The essays, too, are in my opinion -- as an ex-art critic with the emphasis on the ex -- definitive.

My 4 year old loves this series of books from Suzanne Tate. It is a great way to teach them about nature while having fun, and learning to read at the same time. I learned a lot from these books also.

I have purchased quite a few of Suzanne Tate's nature books for my grandson, now 3 yrs. old. He truly enjoys each of them and remembers the facts too. We read them over and over.

This book is one that every person should read. I never really understood how powerful the mind is and that you have to be so careful with what you watch and listen too. It's not only suspenseful but it shows how awsome God is and that no situation, no matter how bad it is, is too big for God to handle.