Poetry Books

The condition was better than advetised. My father was delighted that the cd was there. Thanks for the good work.

Some of Dylan thomas's greatest work.
I spend many hours just browsing through and marvelling at his command of the English Language. Recommended for all lovers of poetry.

Dylan Thomas is immortal for the phrase "rage against the dying of the light", and probably should be. He had a real gift for the music in words. At first it seems that they should all be set to music, but as you hear them and let them play in your mind, you realize they are already their own setting. Some of his poems have been set to music, but none improved.

While I praise his real and powerful gifts, I also want to note that there is a certain adolescence in his themes of dying and death that, for me, diminish his greatness. However, it has and continues to attract the young who, in the abundance of everthing that is youth, think it mature and so, so, sophisticated to pine for death. For example in his own epitaph, he is upset with the fact that he has to die and blames his mother for bringing him into a world where his fate is to feed worms. Please! This from a man who basically drank himself to death at a sadly early age (not tragically - drinking yourself to death is hardly tragic, it is stupid).

For me, his early poem "Woman on Tapestry" is powerfully beautiful and demonstrates his gifts and strengths. Or take a look at the vitality and rhythm of "The Countryman's Return" (It opens: "Embracing Low-falutin' London (said the odd man in a country-pot, his hutch in the fields, by a mother-like henrun)". That's pretty good stuff.

The CD with Dylan Thomas' voice is a nice addition because the music is all the more obvious.

As a reader of his own poems Dylan Thomas has no equal. The immense power, the great musicality , the depth of feeling are simply above those of other writers I know. Compare the tepid TS Eliot slowly measuring out his syllables, to the booming flow of Thomas' poetry.
But the voice on the C.D. is one thing, and the poems as we read them another.
The poems are often to me too unclear and mysterious. Yet they at their best have a richness, a power in feeling, a strength uniquely their own.
In his greatest poems there are great memorable lines' Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, rage against the dying of the light " Or at the end of another great poem about dying , "After the first death there is no other"
As I feel his verse Thomas belongs with Wallace Stevens and Gerald Manley Hopkins and Yeats and Keats and Shakespeare as great makers and masters of their own special music.
What a treasure.

If you truly are a lover of great poetry than this book should be very satisfying. Over the years there have been several volumes that have tried to attempt to collect some of the best poems by Dylan Thomas but none has come close to how complete and accurate this book is. THE POEMS OF DYLAN THOMAS, collects practically every poem that he ever wrote during his lifetime. All of his greatest and best loved poems are here and an added bonus is the CD in the back flap of the book(a special treat by all means) which has the acclaimed poet reciting eight short poems which are also included in the book. Dylan Thomas only lived to the age of 39, but in his brief run here on planet earth he wrote some of the finest, romantic and beautiful poems of his generation. Poetry scholars and literary historians have called him the greatest poet of the 20th century and although there have been many great poets (too many to mention) he stands as one of the most well known and best loved poetic geniuses of all times. Great book of poems that I highly recommend for anyone that has ever been moved and stimulated by the beauty and euphoria that poetry like the ones contained in this beautiful book can bring to a person's soul.

I should say that I'm only 200 pages into this book, but I simply wanted to relate how steady it has been to now in its blend of chronicle, elucidation, and detail. Particularly impressive is how Kenner uses an often very dense (Jamesian, Pound-ish) style of commentary to achieve this. I glanced through a copy of his selected essays (`Historical Fictions') and was disappointed to see that in them it often fell flat, whereas here it flows. Strong works of criticism often seem to fail with first intrusion of any flourishings of "style". I think that part of the revelation of Eliot the critic was his careful push away from a certain weightiness of thought while retaining depth and the critic's persona (which until then might have been all the rage, but for Eliot must have been a conscious decision, and is all the better for it in contrast with many of the zigzagging claims and stances that have come in the interim since). In critique it is the thinking that counts.

Pound oozes style, but his thought is what breaks the waves.

There is a sentence that one doesn't know what to do with. Does it express what it should? It is mine and I would say it needs to be modified. This is a 500 page book and it has had lapses so far. But like Pound's poetics, the stretching into the peripherals of Kenner's way of writing wins dividends and he wanders into prose critical summations complete with all the strength of good poetry.

The "Era" of the title tells you that this is also a book of people and the events around them, and Kenner paints the literary picture in continuously brief and slightly worn strokes. Here he can sometimes get a little misty, perhaps even dewy. A wide range of references will tend to rush away from the events given the slightest notice. But this is Pound's era, and how else are we to see the man? I shall read on and discover.

not so much an ruk, as a demonstration of squid's panoramic influence on modernism, kenner's book remains one of da mostest ighly praised exemplars of american literary criticism. conveyin as much biography as analysis-and evun more cultural istory, kenner's sui generis ang leaps from topic to tale to close readin, wiv little effort at transition, in an angular act of synthesis dat demands acts of cultural leap-frogging much dig squid's own cantos (though mercifully less strenuous). kenna offers suggestive accounts not only of squid and modernism, but of da liberatin role of chinese poetry, translation, greek syntax, istory and economics, wyndham lewis, eliot, enry james, williams, and da objectivists. kenna imself savvily refrains from attemptin to define "a squid tradition," coz he needn't. squid imself was-famously-the mostest important literary taxonomist and canon-maker of american modernism; and dis book, wiv its convincin accounts of da almost servile fawnings paid to squid by da igh modernists, shows why squid was so central: he was at once da mostest advanced and deeply traditional literary reada of is era. kenna shows ow fa squid, "all poets were contemponareous," and though few could claim is readerly breadf, squid's eclectic cultural borrowings (a should i say thefts) expanded da palette to include influences wiv which recent avant-gardists is only beginnin to reckon. indeed mostest of squid's influence as bin simplified to is emphasis on da desired objectivity of poetic lingo, or, as williams redefined it, to da notion dat a poem is "a machine made out of lingo." shared by da objectivists, and, more complexly, by da lingo poets, dis linguistic outlook as become one of da crucial trends in experimental poetics.

Intimidated by Pound's Cantos, I picked up Kenner's book in hopes of a pony. In fact, there are more text specific companions (see my other reviews) but this work provides a fascinating, invaluable overview of the modernists and their work. From the opening encounter with Henry James to Pound's last days in New Jersey and Italy, Kenner walks by the poet's side through the Cantos and his career. The sections on Wyndham Lewis, Buckminster Fuller, Clifford Douglas, and T. S. Eliot are illuminating, but so are the explorations of more obscure writers like Ernest Fenellosa, Guido Cavalcanti, and Henri Gaudier. The author's knowledge of the world, like Pound's, seems almost limitless. Readers looking for nods to contemporary literary theory may be disappointed since there's little queer, feminist, Marxist, or Lacanian critique, but as a conventional and weighty glimpse at influences and allusions in the Cantos, it's excellent. Reading Kenner is probably a lot like being in a lecture class with him. However dull it may be on the cutting edge, the sheer glare of brilliance and erudition leaves you dazzled and eager to go the original source for more light.

For years I didn't get Pound, and I once asked a friend if the Emperor had no clothes. "No, but to get Pound you have to become Pound," she said. That remains one of the truest things I've heard about Pound, and about the modern poetic he inspired. From the brave spirits who hope to apprehend his writing, Pound demands a total commitment to his manner of thinking, his myriad languages, his vast reading, his eccentric economic/social theories, his storehouse of memories, and the evolution of his ideas over nearly a century. What he brought to poetry was the idea that poems aren't ornamented expressions of deep feeling, but precise instruments for exploring politics, religion, history, economics, science and just about everything human.

Hugh Kenner came closer to being Pound than anyone (though Peter Makin gives him a good run for his money), and "The Pound Era" isn't so much a work of literary criticism as it is an intricate daybook, or maybe a modern novel, on coming to terms with the demands Pound makes on a reader. It's a one-of-a-kind study that should be read and re-read by anyone even half-interested in Pound's achievement. But it also (to my mind at least) shares some of the Master's flaws as Kenner makes great, sometimes showy, occasionally mannered paratactic leaps between seemingly unrelated details to convey a picture of Pound's age. It's well worth looking past the stylistic excesses though for Kenner's unparalleled explication of one of the best known and least understood 20th-century poets.

This is an impressive read. I came to it at just the right time in my life. I had been reading the poems of Marianne Moore and Buckminster Fuller as well as studying Ancient Greek. This is a dense but ultimately very rewarding book. It incorporates passages of troubadour lyric and Greek and name-drops a lot of historical characters with which you may or may not be familiar. For those interested in Pound and his times, I highly recommend it. For those unsure, check out the excerpts that Amazon provides. This is not everyone's cup of tea. But, as I said, I came to this at the right time in my life.

Since his first book, I was taken by Mr.Benedetto. He provokes so many emotions in just one poem... and his choice words are always unique and sincere. Prey For Me proved a different side to him... one where pain and anger meet his belief in a higher power and potential for himself. He tells his stories with complete honesty and keeps his audience wanting to know more about his amazing (and sometimes tortured) life. He is a cherished writer in my library, and always will be.

The striking and carefully chosen words in this collection and the organization of the poems show a path from original sin to religious redemption. The first poems are harsh and unforgiving, the imagery is violent and bleak. But in the middle there is a turn, a light, an event that clearly changes the bleakness to the possibility of hope. In the three poems "When Angels Bleed," "Samael's Prayer," and "L'Chaim," a transition to guilt and the beginnings of purgatory and salvation are happening.

As I was waiting at a traffic light on a recent clear evening, I looked up in the sky and saw Orion's Belt. Although a hunter of a different type, the realization struck me at that moment that the themes in this book are widespread throughout cultures and throughout history. The emotions and the feelings that are so stunningly shared in this work are ones that people have and will continue to struggle with through time. This book ends with the possibility and hope of redemption through religion; others might find other ways of transforming their lives. Regardless of the ultimate path, the struggles to regain humanity are still the same and all consuming.

Although I am not particularly religious and had to read these while looking up specific references, this might be my favorite of the four books for the hope that it engenders.

This was my first foray into the works of Mr. Benedetto and I feel like there should have been a warning label to come with this penetrating work.

The best way to describe it is taking beauty and pain and love and war and hit it with electricity. The kind where your hair raises and you sense a shifting of molecules... and you are unsure if you are even standing in the same place, or if you have just witnessed a miracle. But the rawness has changed you. These words penetrate and do not leave.

With torment and grace; and words such as "When you stopped being you, And when did you..become what you hunt," Prey For Me is unforgettable. Thank you Mr. Benedetto.

I've read probably a dozen books this past year, and most of them vanish from thought within an hour of finishing the last page. With Prey For Me, while it only took a few hours to complete, I was still thinking about it (and haunted by it!) for the next two weeks. If you have read any of Mr. Benedetto's other collections of war related poetry, this ranks up there with his best work. If you have not read anything else, read this first but also make sure to go back and read M and War Cries...

After reading "prey for me" by Christian M. Benedetto Jr. I decided those of us who have not experienced combat are quite possibly the most unaffected and fortunate human beings on this earth. This collection does not give many graphic depictions as some of his others, but instead paints his time in the Middle East as a job, calling the American government his "employer" and using the term "professional courtesy" to describe his personal safety during wartime. Not to mention the play on words with "Juliet Oscar Bravo". The business of war is obviously not a concept exclusive to our nation's current Middle Eastern activities.

Another recurring theme found throughout the collection is that of religion. There is a constant battle between good and evil with references to Lucifer and God, as well as biblical references to the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Benedetto is able to make the reader understand the struggle soldiers feel between their duty and their conscience, especially in "Snake Hunter" and "When Angels Bleed".

This collection of poems uses raw language and emotion that is not always easy to swallow, see "L'Chaim", but each poem is well written and expressive. The poems build to the last stanza where often a twist or climax is met that propels the reader into their own psyche filled with bloody images of war fed to us by the media. The last poem is the perfect closer to the collection, "Time Served". The poem is so expressive and it shows that soldiers take on much of the guilt associated with wartime activities that were ordered upon them. It is frustrating to an outsider because of the objectivity we are still in possession of, and how disparate the distribution of guilt occurs, post-war. Christian M. Benedetto Jr. is a highly skilled poet and a decorated Combat Veteran

In this deeply personal literary treasure, readers are privileged to be invited thru Private Landscape to feel some of the author's journey in and through her experience with cancer. Rich, personal and evocative!
Ethel Lee-Miller, author

Laverne H. Bardy, Syndicated Humor Columnist, Newton, NJ, United States

In her book, PRIVATE LANDSCAPES, Julie Maloney shows us a woman with mettle; a woman with tremendous wisdom and spiritual strength who has endured and conquered adversity with bravery and defiance. Her measured words are poignant, and without guile. They reveal intimate details of her painful and personal struggle with cancer, and showcase the depth of her love for family and for life. Her indomitable approach to life is a guidepost for anyone facing life's challenges.

The book of poetry that creeps under the skin and finds a home in the readers heart is a rare gift. Such is the must-share-with-girlfriends gem by Julie Maloney- Private Landscape. With generous courage, Maloney exposes her private spiritual odyssey as a cancer survivor with brush strokes that fill every woman's canvas of experience. Her words shimmer with truth and reside comfortably in the readers heart. To be kept on the bedside nightstand. Karen Moss- Writer

then Julie Maloney's Private Landscape is a powerful elixir for bruised bodies and souls. With utter confidence, Maloney takes us on her private journey through anger, fear, despair, acceptance and ultimately gratitude. At times, her words soothe the spirit like a gentle salve while other precise phrases land with the force of a resuscitating paddle, shocking the reader back into reality; reminding us to savor every moment of each day.

This is a book to be read and reread as new subtleties always emerge with every sitting. It is a book to be shared with anyone who is in a state of transition - physically, financially or spiritually. Most of all, it is a book to be treasured.

PRIVATE LANDSCAPE is a book to be read, reread and then savored. Julie Maloney has lovingly given readers the rare opportunity to reach deeply into one's own psyche and heart. She invites readers to experience the awesome tragedy of cancer with a sense of humor, a zest for life and a deep appreciation for the love of family and friends. This is a book to be shared with all types of readers and is a moving tribute to cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones.

I laughed, I cried, I was often spellbound by the honesty, sincerity, boundless energy and depth portrayed in this book of poems. It is a gift to be treasured.

I enjoy you sharing your knowledge,wisdom and journeys.You are an inspiration to us all.Thank you.From one artist to another.

Cassandra Dillon(Author of "Reality Poems")

Writer Carolyn Heilbrun recommended Nikki Giovanni to me and others at the Chicago Humanities Festival in 2002. I read Giovanni's poetry yesterday and was carried away. My favorite poem in Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea is the one about Richard Williams, tennis father extraordinaire. Read this poem to your father; you and he will smile together.

Holding a book of poetry or essays by Nikki Giovanni is like holding a gift of joy in one's hand. In this slim volume called Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea, we get both genres. Some pieces have both; they start off as a poem and meander into essay form as in the self-titled offering, "Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea". What does H. Rap Brown have to do with NASA and Martians? Well, in this poem/essay, she ties it all together and somehow it all makes sense.

In "Twenty Reasons to Love Richards Williams, Giovanni pays tribute to Venus and Serena Williams' father; "He makes white folks crazy (PS and the black bourgeoisie, too)". "Don't Think" is but six powerful lines and "Blackberry Cobbler", now one of my favorite poems, is reminiscent of childhood and grandmothers. Tributes are paid to James Baldwin, Rosa Parks, and there is another Aretha poem. In these tributes, a ground work of black history is laid before she bestows the honoree with ultimate adulation.

As in Love Poems, her previous collection, Giovanni gives you words of wisdom, love, and conscientious discourse. This is a book that you will find yourself picking up again and again and wanting to share with others. This is poetry- Nikki style.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

In order to read this book properly, you'll have to heat a cup of tea and curl up under a warm blanket in front of a crackling fireplace. Make sure your feet are covered with thick, wool socks. You'll also have to check your preconceived notions about the world at the door and open your mind to seeing the same old things in a new way. Nikki Giovanni promotes thought.

In "Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea," Giovanni tosses gold dust into the air and allows it to cover the world with great insights and wit. Her "Poems and Not Quite Poems" elicit smiles, tears and introspection. One gets the feeling of sitting at a wise grandmother's kitchen table as she cleans collard greens in a sink full of pale green water. Giovanni's words run clear.

She praises Richard Williams (father of Venus and Serena Williams) for committing himself to his daughters' dreams. She honors Aretha Franklin. She shakes a disgusted head at President Bush and former Vice President Al Gore. She even has a few words for Susan Smith, the woman who drowned her children in her abandoned car.

Giovanni speaks of her childhood and of the people who influenced her life. In this book, she sings an old, comfortable melody.

"Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea" is an interesting read. It leaps about from topic to topic like a wild rabbit exploring the countryside. Although some won't agree with all of her views, Giovanni is to be respected as a voice in our history - speaking out where others have gone mute.

I loved this book of poems and not quite poems. I have so many favorites but the one I liked most was "Twenty Reasons to Love Richard Williams". When I read the title I was thinking who is Richard Williams...maybe some one she once dated. As I started reading it I realized who she was talking about. This poem is so funny yet so VERY true. I actually read it twice. There were several others that I enjoyed like "Aunt Daughter and that Glorious Song" and "Bring On The Bombs: A Historical Interview". As I read these I was sort of lost at first and then I realized that they were about James Weldon Johnson and Daisy Bates, I love the way that she tells the stories of those two events in history. I do wonder if "Aunt Daughter and That Glorious Song" is a true story. I also enjoyed "What We Miss", which was some what therapeutic for me becuase I lost my mother last year and many of the things that I miss about my mother were written in this poem. And "He Blew It" just speaks for itself.
I love Ms. Giovanni's writing and this book is one of my favorites. She is so truthful about everything that she has written here. It is like she put on paper what everyone has been thinking.

Robert Frost is a unique American voice that many people love. A few reject him, but the majority of those whom he was writing for still love and admire his poetry. His fans always have favorites and can quote lines and whole poems from memory. When a poet gets into people's memories and hearts it is not a sure sign of greatness, but it is a good indicator of something special.

In some ways his works have aged because they are about an America that has passed. One poem that I think catches a lot of the issues surround Frost is "The Literate Farmer and the Planet Venus". This piece is about the electrification of rural America and the strangeness of it all. It talks about the speeding up of life and wonders if the future will simply do away with beds because there won't be time to sleep. The poem is set in 1926, but was published in 1942 as part of "A Witness Tree". I don't know when it was written, but if it was written around the Second World War its nostalgia seems a bit more cynical to me (which I suspect to be the case). However, if it was written back in the late 1920s then it has more whimsy and an earnest wonder.

This poet does have a capacity for irony and bite as well as humor and whimsy. His words are more conversational than lyric and that is fine. They have less music, but a great deal of color and subtle observation. It really doesn't matter what any critic says about Frost. He will outlast all of them. What matters is what he says to you. He is certainly a more worthwhile read than most of what gets published nowadays, just expect to have to deal with some words and references to an America from a century ago.

This volume from the Library of America is terrific. The table of contents in the front refers to the whole volume. The Collected Poems is the reprint that takes up most of the book and has its own table of contents as well. There is also a chronology of Frost's life, notes on sources, and many very helpful notes that can help you understand certain references. There is an index of titles and first lines, and an index of prose titles.

I always feel grateful to the Library of America whenever I get a chance to read their volumes. Heck, they are simply great to hold and flip through!

For most of us most poets live through a few poems of theirs we have read in anthologies. It may be that in the case of a poet we especially love we have gone and read most of their poetry.
This volume presents a wonderful opportunity for the devotees of Frost to have in one book the work of a lifetime.
For me Frost is "The Road Not Taken" and "Birches" and "Mending Wall" and a host of scattered lines, " Good fences make good neighbors" and " The land was ours, before we were the land's".
Frost is also however, I must admit , for me the poet whose life casts a shadow on his work. Unfortunately perhaps I long ago read parts of the Thompson biography of Frost the central theme of which was his inveterate cruelty to all those around him.
All this has left me, you will excuse this, a bit 'cool toward Frost' and I personally prefer the more musical metrics of Wallace Stevens to the canny, often pithily wise lines of Frost.

I took a class last semester on Robert Frost, and it was quite an experience. Frost was truly a wonderful poet who deserves every bit of praise he gets (and who is unfairly ignored in academia it seems). His words are so often true and lifechanging and beautiful and honest. Nobody is fully educated until they have read Frost's classics: "The Death of the Hired Man," "Mending Wall," "Birches," "After Apple-Picking," "Storm Fear," "Meeting and Passing," etc. There are so many good ones.

The Library of America edition is a great way to be exposed to Frost's poetry. It's true that there are a lot of pretty bad poems since everything, good and bad, is included in the volume; the uncollected poems here were meant to stay uncollected. Nevertheless, that everything is here is really a great strength to the book. It's great being able to place a single poem in Frost's entire oevre. I also liked seeing how his command of the language and the forms of poetry. Seeing everything also helped to see how his conception of his role changed. Most importantly, I loved that Frost's prose and his plays were included here. There are a number of gems to be found there. I particularly enjoyed the "'Sermon' at the Rock Avenue Temple" and Frost's children's stories. The ability to read Frost's prose alongside his poetry really enhances the reading of both.

Overall, Frost was a magnificant poet who cannot be given less than five stars, and by reading everything in this edition, one can certainly gain a greater appreciation of the poet at his finest.

Are you someone who buys for the art of the book as much for the art of the contents? If so, you can't do better than any of the stellar titles from the Library Of America series of books... This splendid collection of Frost will not dissapoint...One of the many treats of this volume as is virtually true with all of the Library Of America volumes is the ease with which you can hold it comfortably in your hand...Exclusively thin acid free paper is the secret and this volume packs in a two inch thick volume what normal paper would weigh you down with five or six inches of...

What nice unedited and thorough Frost you get here!...Speaking of editing, the true Frost afficionado will want to be sure to avoid items edited by an Edward Latham...This edition is Latham free and contains Frost's work as he originally wrote it...Unfortunately, from the late sixties on, several editions of Frost went forward with unnecessary "clean up" editing by this very punctuation weilding word meister...He added to many editions extra commas and punctuation in places Frost never originally put it...If you'd like to read a much more thorough analysis of this than I can describe here, be sure to pick up a copy of writer Donald Hall's " Breakfast Served Anytime" and read the article he wrote exposing Latham and his added cleansing of Frost's work...This Library Of America edition captures Frost unedited and at his purest and best...

The reader can choose here from a smorgasbord of outstanding selections and offerings...Poetry, prose, plays...there is quite a variety of choice fare offered here...

In the words of Mr. Frost.." I'm going up to the meadow to check the newborn calf,...I shan't be long...You come too!"

Very attractive, solid and sturdy, materials are very well organized. Not the cheapest, but well worth it -- especially at the discount Amazon provides... And then there's the content -- top notch stuff, perfect.

First, you have to understand that I am a confirmed lover of Jeffers' poetry. Then you can understand why I have fallen back in love with this volume and recommend it as a great introduction.

Although I had read a few of his poems in a college anthology, this volume introduced me to a more serious love of Jeffers back in the late '60s. I first saw it in the hip pocket of a young man with a backpack and ponytail when we met on a hiking trail in the Rockies. Like I suspect many others, that young man's enthusiasm got me to read Jeffers--from the same paperback--more seriously, and I became thoroughly infatuated with Jeffers long, mighty lines and stark but beautiful images.

When I paid more attention to Jeffers, however, I no longer liked this anthology. It seemed shallow; the selections far from those I would have made myself. (Of course, those selections changed every few weeks.) Had I written a review during those years, I would have lamented the lack of the volume that has since been made available by Tim Hunt's excellent volume of selected works, and recommended this only because no other introduction was available. I was, I guess, a Jeffers snob.

Now, however, I have a renewed appreciation for this volume. The essential poems are largely included, the shortest of Jeffers' long poems (the powerful and comparatively accessable "Roan Stallion") is included, and the size and price are unintimidating. I find myself happily purchasing copies to give as gifts to friends willing to gingerly give Jeffers a try, and it seldom fails to be appreciated at least somewhat. I own just about everything Jeffers wrote, yet this volume is still the one I take with me on airplanes. I am over my snob period, and love this volume again.

If you don't know Jeffers, I recommend this volume highly as a great way to learn about a poet once considered America's best ever. (If you do know Jeffers, you don't need this review.)

I was first introduced to the work of Robinson Jeffers in an essay by Edward Abbey in which he spoke about the stark unpretentious beauty of Jeffers' poem "Vulture" and from the moment I read it I have been a great fan ever since.

Selected Poems, by Robinson Jeffers includes a great sampling of poems that spans Jeffers entire career, while also including the long poem Roan Stallion, which gives the reader a feel for Jeffers more ambitious longer works such as Cawdor, Tamar and Dear Judas.
It seems that, while some bristle at what could be seen as Jeffers at times misanthropic themes, I believe it is precisely the stark objectivity in poems such as "Original Sin", "We are Those People" and "Vulture" that give his work such vitality and importance.
Thus, what some erroneously perceive as Jeffers' misanthropy, can be better understood as a poet's attempt to bring about the realization of a biocentric view of the universe, which attempts to express the real indifference of Nature. In doing so, Jeffers re-integrates humanity into the natural world, in which every living being is subject to the constant cycles of life, death and rebirth, which is the ultimate law of Nature.

Jeffers' work is not poetry merely for poetry's sake, which is all too often the case in the work produced today, it is Nature translated into the written word--a poetry of the Earth and a celebration of not only life, but also of the mountains, rivers, earth and sky, that provides shelter and nourishes us all.

Robinson Jeffers is considered by many scholars to be one of the greatest 20th century American regional poets. Anytime superlatives are used to describe someone or something in this manner there is room for debate. I do not have the academic credentials to enter into any debate concerning the degree of Jeffers' greatness, but I do weigh in with those who highly praise his work. Though born in the Eastern portion of the United States, Jeffers settled in Carmel, California early in his life and spent his last 58 years there. The rugged California coast coupled with the Pacific Ocean provided much of the imagery in his poetry. Included here are several of these poems such as "Morro Bay," "The Purse Seine," and "The Place for No Story" to name a few.

The poems chosen for inclusion in SELECTED POEMS are spread across the last 40 years of his life, 1924 thru 1962, the last few published posthumously. In addition to covering the greater portion of his mature productive years, the poems selected offer a sampling of most of his styles and themes.

One of his earlier narrative poems, "Roan Stallion," has been chosen for inclusion. This powerful poem invokes myth-ritual, theology, racial memory, shock for shock's sake, and blood-lust to name but a few of its themes and undercurrents. "Roan Stallion" is meant to be read, not analyzed, but it, along with the "Tamara" narratives have been analyzed to death by multiple critics and students of Freud. Because his themes in poems such as this were uncomfortable for many people, his popularity as a poet has suffered.

In addition, and again unfortunately for his popularity, Jeffers was an outspoken isolationist during WW II, and wrote a number of poems with themes critical of U.S. involvement in the war. Among those included here are "We Are Those People," "So Many Blood Lakes," and "Calm and Full the Ocean."

Tor House, Jeffers' home in Carmel, and the adjacent Hawk Tower which he built with his own hands for his wife, Una, are open to the public on a limited basis. On two weekend afternoons most weeks, there are two or three docent led tours open to about ten people per tour (reservations a necessity), This book is carried on the tour by the docent, and at appropriate places in the house, garden, or tower, the tour stops and poems are read aloud by volunteers.

My favorite poem for reading on the tour is "The Bed By the Window."

It starts with:

. . . . ."I chose the bed downstairs by the window for a good

. . . . . . . .death bed

. . . . .When we built the house; it is ready waiting."

And concludes with:

. . . . ."When the patient daemon behind the screen of sea-rock

. . . . . . . .and sky

. . . . .Thumps with his staff and calls thrice 'Come Jeffers'"

Jeffers wrote this poem in 1932, kept the bed empty and waiting, and, some 30 years later, in 1962, when he knew he was dying, had himself moved into it and did die there. Reading that poem aloud, while standing beside the bed and looking out the window toward the sea was a one of a kind emotional experience for me. I'm glad that I volunteered to read this poem aloud on that occasion. SELECTED POEMS has had special meaning for me ever since.

Jeffers was a phenomenon. You will love it or hate it. Depends on your world view. It has a spiritual basis but is not religious. It is pantheistic; can you stand it?

It's not about consumerism, or the present moment. It's about time and the river (with apologies to Thomas Wolfe). His shorter poems are sometimes breathtaking in their beauty; his epics may please those who read romance novels.

Warning: you may be changed beyond redemption by reading this.

Recently while planning a trip to California, my mother came across a historic home tour of Tor House, the home of poet Robinson Jeffers. I love poetry so I read one of his poems posted on a web site, but it didn't appeal to me. However the house did. I met my family in Ca. and at the end of our vacation we toured Tor House. On the tour was an English professor who told us he taught poetry and spent a good deal of time discussing Jeffers' poems in his classes. Also, the docent's account of Jeffers' life was so intriguing. I realized I had given up on him too soon. My favorite story was that Jeffers apprenticed himself to the stonemason who built the original house so that he could build a tower for his wife Una, the love of his life. They lived simply and fairly happily with their twin sons. He was an incredible lover of nature and animals, and chose the hawk as his symbol. Their house is covered with hawks and unicorns (Una's symbol.) It is so interesting that a man who wrote so passionately against violence identified himself with the traditional symbol of war, the hawk, but this creature meant something completely different to him. Power and freedom.

I picked up this book in the gift shop. Opening it in the middle, I read "Contemplation of the Sword." The poem's dark, austere honesty is balanced by the seductive imagery, sinuous phrases and dramatic punctuation. It's obvious he hated violence and detested the anger that rose in him for hating violence. He loved his wife and children fiercely and wanted to keep them safe. He's a very passionate, emotional man and that comes through vividly in his poems. I love that his work is still relevant today. The emotions that he felt are emotions that I feel. These beautiful poems are works that will compellingly push the reader to think about the world, our place in it and our responsibility for it. The poetry is so rich, ripe and fluid that I hunger for more. Fortunately, the Stanford University Press has compiled a massive five volume set of Jeffers' poems. The bounty is abundant.

This book is very inspiring. I would recommend it to all my friends.

-Terence

"Ruff Poems from the Heart" is a masterpiece from a new and talented writer. The book is collection of poems that inspire and motivate. Ms. Ruff in a "Thoreaun" sense inspires the reader to be all that he can be. Her poems reminds us of things we often think and feel but not able to verbalize.

You learn that "you cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it." That "its what you expect, what you think about that expands." Once you have read the collection of poems you will learn how to avoid all thoughts that weaken you....that you do not have problems---you only think you do.

I short I found her poems to be refreshing, inspiring and highly motivational. I look forward to more and better things from this "new star."

This book is pertinent to all ages and walks of life. The universal content reaches out to anyone who will read it. The refreshing inspirational and comical poems add a new view to the mundane events of life. The true-to-life poems from the author's views are so good, that no one goes untouched. Monica-17 years old.

I am an English professor and I am always on the look-out for short inspirational readings to inspire my students. I had the great pleasure of meeting the poet, Leanora Ruff, at a doctoral seminar in May. It was then that I purchased and read her book of poetry. It reminded me of the qualities of Maya Angelou's poetry, especially "The Roaring River" on page 13 which reminds me of "On the Pulse of the Morning" by Miss Angelou. Leanora's poems speak to her children about her hopes and dreams for them. Her poems are meant to inspire you to overcome obstacles in your life. I am especially fond of the poems that praise God for his glory, presence, and the strength a strong faith can lend to one's life. Purchase this book and it will bless your life!

This book was very inspiring to me. There are so many facets that I can personally relate to. When I read it my mind is opened to new ideas and simple creativity that we sometimes take for granted. Optimism and challenge are words that the author was not keen on holding back. I am encouraged and determined to make this book a guideline for goalsetting.

I thought the spoken word cd along with the book was excellent I saw Tonya perform in Chicago in the Summer of 2001 at Romains Gallery in Oak Park, Il. She definitely writes from the heart. The poetry is so powerful and uplifting. I would recommend any one to purchase. My favorites are I will tell myself and shine. The whole cd is wonderful and its nice to be able to read the book as you listen to the cd. I think I have it memorized now. I have had people stop me and ask what are you listening to and where did you get it from. I tell them with a smile. If you are into poetry and would like to have a taste of some true talent I would suggest purchasing the shine deluxe edition.

Tonya Marie Evans' talent is a bright, steady light. Her Shine! Inspirational Poetry with Companion CD was my first introduction to the Spoken Word genre and I believe our "acquaintance" was meant to be. Not only did her expressive and melodic voice captivate me, but the messages in poems such as "I Will Tell Myself," "Angry Doesn't Live Here Anymore," and "Find Your Own Shine" inspired me to "begin again." The CD was so awesome that it got my creative juices flowing and I've returned to writing poetry. Tonya Marie Evans's words will affirm, encourage, and help you to turn your shine all the way on!

Shine provided me with the opportunity to reflect on my personal resilence. With pieces such as "I Will Tell Myself" and "Find Your Own Shine", I remembered a strength and determination that can only come from within. As I listened to Tonya Marie's words, both in the written form and on the accompanying CD, I was reminded that I am not alone in experiencing the trials and tribulations that Life can sometimes bring. I was also reminded that with each breathe and through careful reflection we can overcome these life experiences and "begin again" (taken from "A Villager Speaks"). I thoroughly enjoyed Shine and have found myself buying it for gifts, referring to it in the classroom, and using it as a teaching and therapeutic tool. I believe that Tonya Marie has a beautiful and powerful voice that soothes, heals, and inspires you to regain your life and be true to your real self. In other words, just as Tonya Marie as recommended, her work inspires and gives you the courage to "Shine".

This is not your ordinary spoken word material. Tonya Marie Evans along with her co-horts Stephanie Renee and Damon "Dizzy Fingers" Bennet brew up some seriously groovy tunes, with styles ranging from house to progressive soul to acid jazz. Tonya Marie's voice is smooth yet commanding and when coupled with Stephanie Renee's own phenomenal voice the result is truly wonderful. My favorite's are "I Will Tell Myself" the danceable, deep house track and "FYOS" a groovy acid jazz track worthy of recognition. This companion cd is truly worth a listen. Unlike most music today it is soulful, inspirational and enjoyable!!

Inspirational and Finding My Own Shine are not words I
associate with poetry. I thought poetry was rhymes
like, Roses are red, violet are blue, sugar is sweet
and so are you. I am truly grateful that the author
has given me another view of poetry.The poetry in
Shine encourages you to look inward.

Shine is a divine influence. After reading these 48
pages it is my ambition to be 100% of me. A favorite
of mine is titled I Will Tell Myself, I plan to read
this poem whenever others try to define who I am. The
fourth paragraph of I Will Tell Myself read: "I am not
confused - I am convinced that I have greatness within
and I am Superwoman able to leap TALL DECEPTION in a
single bound", wow is all I can say to that.

This author doesn't stop there, she has included the
spoken word as well. This CD is one you do not want to
be without, complementing her poetry is Neosoul and
funk. This blend of music fits perfectly with her
words. Angry Don't Live Here No More is "Da Bomb"I
would love to ride to Philly and be a part of the
audience where she "melts the mic" with her poetry.
Evans' multimedia book is for the whole family. I plan
to read from it at my Black Light Open Mic this month.

Reviewed by Missy

This has to be a book which will live through history as one of the best of the best. It's not your usual book. Not your usual Christian book. Not your usual poetry book. Not your usual story.

It's all of those, and still a look at the creation of manking through Jeaus' life and death. Not like anything i've ever read. Give it a try. I don't think you will regret it.

I think of "The Singer" as a collapsing of the four Gospels in the traditional Christian Bible. Told in allegorical fantasy or science fiction this was one of my favorite books when I was a teenager and it introduced me to Calvin Miller's fiction. It isn't easy to read, things jump around a bit, and are at the same time condensed, but I also remember sharing it with non-Christian friends who thought it was pretty cool too. As an adult now I can see more the Gospel of John is the strongest influence on the work but there is also a strong role for women in it.

I read this book a few years after it was first published. I was a young teen and in search of.... meaning. Throughout the years, I have thought of this book, thought of re-reading it, but didn't want to lose my memory of how gently, how beautifully it tells the story of Christ. I remembered it with such fondness that I didn't dare risk re-reading it.

Finally, I've decided it's time to take a drink from the well Calvin Miller created in The Singer once again. I'm sure it will be just as refreshing as it was the first time I read it, and... perhaps I'll enjoy it even more this time!

This allegory of the life and death of Jesus Christ has several pages of illustrious and thought provoking poetry. Unfortunately, the majority of its content falls short of brilliance. I think that it is a nice book for devotional reflections, but aside from that, it has no real artistic value. My rating is 2.7.

This is one of those books I read over and over again. I have read it probably 20 times since my first reading. Calvin Miller puts biblical stories into narrative poems that are so well written they force you to turn the page again and again. This book is the first in the Singer Trilogy, followed by The Song and The Finale. It is a poetic retelling of three biblical books: The Singer parallels the 4 Gospels, The Song retells the story of Acts, and The Finale is Miller's version of the book of Revelation.

Miller writes explicitly Christian fantasy in these books. He is also widely known for his non-fiction AND Christian life application books.

The Singer is a powerful retelling of the life of Christ, where instead of Jesus and The Gospel you have the Singer and his song. His song, if you are open to it, can bring healing and restoration. The World-Hater, wants to destroy both the Singer and his star song. Miller's words moved me to tears the first time I encountered them. The story is so well written, it can be read over and over without losing its freshness. The book is also excellently illustrated by Chicago artist Joe DeVelasco. The drawings done in pen and Ink style add to the power of the story by transporting you into the events.

No matter how many times over I reread this book, it is always fresh and new and draws me into the story of Christ in a different way. It is truly a classic and a treasure for any bookshelf. Each time I pick these up and reread them, I find a deepening of my relationship with Christ, and of my prayer life.

Miller also has a Symphonic Trilogy that retells different stories from the book of Genesis. The two I owned were A Requiem for Love and A Symphony in Sand. As far as I can tell, there are also 2 stand-alone books by Miller in this style that are often compared to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Lewis's Narnia. They are The Valiant Papers, an account of a guardian angel's experiences, and The Philippian Fragment, the retelling of the book of Philippians from the New Testament. I have owned most of these and lent them out to not be returned. I now have The Singer Trilogy, Valiant, and Singer Trilogy 3-in-1 hardcover. Over the next few weeks I will review those I still have, but cannot encourage you strongly enough to pick them up if you find them in a used bookstore. They are all great.

Over the next few weeks, I plan on reviewing some of the others that I still have from this author. And if I find the others again, I will review them. (It has just been too long since I lent them out and did not get them back for me to review them from memory.)

Other Miller Books:
The Singer
The Song
The Finale
The Valiant Papers
The Philippian Fragment (Currently OP)