Poetry Books

Fathering Words portrays the grief and loss one man feels when his father and brother suddenly die within two years of each other. Their deaths cause Miller to recall how seldom he and his father spoke, and yet, he always knows his father loves the family. That singular way one person cares for and remembers another is at the spiritual core of this book. What does a son inherit from the men in his family when there are few conversations? Miller compares his life and his dreams to that of his older brother, and maps out the goals for his own future as he marries, has his own children, and embarks on his career as a poet. He punctuates the story with the gracious voice of his older sister, Marie, as he imagines how the family might have looked to her. Marie carries the secrets and stories that filter down to the younger son as rumors and tales. She becomes a source of information and verification of the family history. Using a network of subtle references to religion, classical and jazz music, basketball and baseball, as well as motifs from literary works, Miller provides a number of avenues by which a broad spectrum of readers will be able to enter and inhabit his poignant text.

For those who want to write about their own lives, the book provides a model for creating scenes in small vignettes that become interconnected by the end of the chapter, as opposed to providing a direct narrative path from the beginning of a life to the present. For writers who aspire to become published, and perhaps even famous, Miller chronicles the encounters he has with a number of writers, revealing the history of African American literature in the past thirty years.

I teach Fathering Words in a senior-level college course on autobiography at the University of Southern Indiana. Readers who want more information about the author might start with his website ....

If I had received this book five years ago, it would have saved me five years of pain and confusion. Fathering Words is the tangible witness of a man's journey into and through his writing life. Unlike many writing memoirs, it is not a how to, or even a how, but a detatched narrative of his life as a poet. He is eerily objective about the mistakes and choices he has made, and uses occasional passages from his sister to broaden the view he gives the reader.

I learned more about the writing process, more about the yearning that true writers feel, and more about the lack of understanding that non-artists have about the whys and wherefores. If you know an African-American man who yearns to "father words", buying this book for him will be the best show of support you can give him.

Fathering Words is a deeply moving memoir. Ethelbert Miller's description of his father will remain with the reader for a very long time. His decision to write the book using both his and his sister's voice is unique and it works.It's definitely a keeper.

Fathering Words portrays the grief and loss one man feels when his father and brother suddenly die within two years of each other. Their deaths cause Miller to recall how seldom he and his father spoke, and yet, he always knows his father loves the family. That singular way one person cares for and remembers another is at the spiritual core of this book. What does a son inherit from the men in his family when there are few conversations? Miller compares his life and his dreams to that of his older brother, and maps out the goals for his own future as he marries, has his own children, and embarks on his career as a poet. He punctuates the story with the gracious voice of his older sister, Marie, as he imagines how the family might have looked to her. Marie carries the secrets and stories that filter down to the younger son as rumors and tales. She becomes a source of information and verification of the family history. Using a network of subtle references to religion, classical and jazz music, basketball and baseball, as well as motifs from literary works, Miller provides a number of avenues by which a broad spectrum of readers will be able to enter and inhabit his poignant text.

For those who want to write about their own lives, the book provides a model for creating scenes in small vignettes that become interconnected by the end of the chapter, as opposed to providing a direct narrative path from the beginning of a life to the present. For writers who aspire to become published, and perhaps even famous, Miller chronicles the encounters he has with a number of writers, revealing the history of African American literature in the past thirty years.

I teach Fathering Words in a senior-level college course on autobiography at the University of Southern Indiana. ...

This book is so beautifully written, so touchingly direct that I called Howard University to search out the author and tell him what a compelling book he had written. Anyone who is a father, about to be a father or contemplating being a father (whether African-American or not) will find this book touching in what it says about the frequently mute love between fathers and their sons. African-Americans families are often love mutes like Mr. Miller's-- too busy working, too focused on the quotidien to express love outside provision of food and shelter. Out of such silent, seemingly fallow ground, E. Ethelbert Miller heaps up words of love and power, fathering not only his own father, but his whole family in some of the most poetic prose you will ever read.

This is the best collection/selection of Emily Dickinson's poems I have ever found. They're selected from a complete collection. What's special about this book is that none of the poems are edited, as is done in many other collections of her works - and excellent choices are made for which poems to include. Emily often used simple dashes at the ends of her lines, and this selection is true to her originals - and she never put titles on her poems, or indented lines - as many other collections of her poems have the audacity to do - as if the editors of those works knew better than this greatest poet the English language has ever known.

Everyone who aims for the ultimate, the elusive, and the exquisite, ought to pack. The edition is affordable, durable, well-organized, comprehensive . . . and produced with care NOT to alter the form or format of the poems . . . which for some dreadful reason a lot of folks seem to feel compelled to do . . .

more importantly . . . all that white witchcraft still dazzles

For those whose aquiantance with the Belle of Amherst is limited to the classroom edition - i.e., There is no Frigate Like a Book, et al., look again. Dickenson really is the epitome of the rugged individualist - a free spirit - in ways surprisingly opposed to her contemporary, Whitman, she arrives at similar conclusions going no further than her garden. She is the inward sojourner - at home in the harshest tensions and conflicts of the psyche - where her distinctly feminine sensitivity speaks truth in "slant" - as she qualifies her enormous insight.

Most haunting: 'Success is counted sweetest', 'To learn the Transport by the Pain', 'My life closed twice before its close', and, "My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun -". Dickenson laments our sovereign anguish, our exile from the immediate truth or the comprehensive immediacy of truth, the quest for which her poems articulate an urgent hunger enveloped in alternately the most naturistically ambient references or stonily direct terms.

There are Emily Dickinson's greatest poems, most of which my guess is , have in one way or another been anthologized. There is her complete oeuvre of 1775 poems, a large volume indeed. I am not a Dickinson scholar and I found myself a bit lost with such a large number of poems to search through for new gems.
This present volume edited by the dean of Dickinson scholars purports to choose of the total oeuvre the very best of her work.
I truly appreciate this as a volume of this kind can extend my knowledge and appreciation of her poetry in a way which is most economical and helpful to me.

I was never actually a fan of poetry until I encountered Emily Dickinson's poems. It seems as if she has written a poem for everyone. I strongly recomend this book, as my English teacher did to me, not only because of my love for Emily Dickinson, but for the quality of the book. It is obvious that Thomas H. Johnson, the editor, put many long hours of hard work into gathering this collection. Many of her poems were simply scribbled on little pieces of paper, which makes me wonder what kind of literary genius she must have been. With the help of this book, she has become my favorite poet, and I have learned that poetry can be strong medicine for the hurting soul. Final Harvest never leaves my side.

Don't get me wrong, I truly love a large selection of the poems in this volume. However, that is a measure of Emily Dickenson and me, not T. Johnson's collection. What makes this book better than many that are around and about, as has been mentioned, is the lack of editing to her poems--something that has always bothered me. In this regard, the content of the poems is better than many others, however there are other issues of note.

This is, of course, an abridged collection. As such, we are forced to rely on the opinion of another. Granted this is common enough with poetry collections, but that doesn't change the very nature of each person having differing interests. There is no way to know if the ones he leaves out are just as good or even better, from each individuals perspective, without going to more comprehensive texts.

Regardless, I do have one gripe with this book that is unrelated to the above pettiness. The method of dating each poem seems silly to me. The reason is that they are all claimed to be from one of several (if memory serves 3) years separated out over several decades. That and there are two listings of dates for each poem, which I don't recall off hand why they did that, and it may serve some purpose, but it's not useful information if when these poems were written can only be pinned down to plus or minus five-ten years. I can't blame Johnson for this as I imagine that is as close as is known, but, by the same token, the dates could have been left out so that it doesn't detract from the actual poetry.

All in all I would recomend this book, but I might suggest getting a more complete version instead (so long as it is unedited--Emily hated it when people wanted to edit her poems, and I think that we should respect that).

I was a kindergarten teacher and this rhyme was a staple during the month of October. When I saw it had been made into a book, I got it for my 2 year old daughter. It is perfect for this age. Short, rhyming text and vibrant pumpkin pictures. My 4 year old twins like it too because they are so familiar with the rhyme they feel like they are reading it themselves. Definitely a favorite for Halloween in this house.

The rhyme of Five Little Pumpkins is SO easy to read and memorize, the board book holds up very well, and the illustrations are very endearing--the jack-o-lantern faces are expressive and the colors are beautiful. This book made my 20-month-old son a jack-o-lantern fan, and I haven't gotten tired of reading it to him yet!

This board book with wipe-clean covers and pages is a delightful Halloween romp featuring the five famous little pumpkins of the familiar gradeschool song. Bright double page illustrations showing the five different jack-o-lanterns tell the tale of Halloween night that begins with the pumpkins "sitting on a gate" and finishes up with them "rolling out of sight." Simple but fun-filled witches on broomsticks, a black cat, and whispy smiling ghosts join in the fun. This book is rated for the ages of 1 1/2 and up and is basic and short enough to hold the attention of a very little one but can be used to learn reciting or singing. It is a nice touch for Halloween because there is no scariness in it and lots of smiling, bright colored action to follow. Sure to be a family favorite.

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh, my it's getting late!"
The second one said, "There are witches in the air."
The third one said, "But we don't care."
The fourth one said, "Let's run, let's run!"
The fifth one said, "Isn't Halloween fun?"

Then Woooooo went the wind
And OUT went the lights.
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

My 2 1/2 year old just loves Halloween. It's only June as I write this and he's already asking if Halloween is coming soon almost on a daily basis. So when I saw this book at a yard sale I just had to pick it up. This delightful verse that has been around so long is accompanied by cute and spooky illustrations of pumpkins, ghosts, witches, and black cats. Just a delightful and sturdy little board book. Perfect for your little goblin.

Dan Yaccarino captures the essence of Halloween with simple, yet expressive pictures of pumpkins, ghosts and a black cat. My one year old son Ryan loves it when i read the story of the Five Little Pumpkins. He points to all the different pumpkin faces and loves their orange glow. The book wipes clean and withstands being dragged all over the house! I am a big fan of Dan Yaccarino's work, love his cartoon Oswald, so this book is a big Halloween fun delight!

"You don't have to be Jewish" to enjoy Mel Belin's poems. But, like a good rich rye bread, if you don't already know what to expect, you'll be surprised to find how sensual and complex the joys of this particualr cultural tradition can be.

The 53 poems in FLESH THAT WAS CHRYSALIS range widely--and wildly--over an astonishing expanse of family, history, ancient legend, philosophical reasoning and honest emotion.

Some individual poems stand out for memorable phrases and inventiveness: "Anniversary" with its arresting evocation of a family tragedy; "Leaf and Tree" that speculates on the moment when dying begins; or "The Mephisto Waltz," where we watch a life passing in reverse.

Poems like these transcend their author's personal history and ethnic background--a challenge that many poets today seem unwilling or unable to attempt. Speaking to strangers, those who don't necessarily share your own priorities and values, calls for a special kind of courage (or bravado) that Belin has. His best poems produce effects that any reader with a heart open to compassion and a mind alert to unconventional possibilities can relish and be glad for.

END

Mel Belin is always eloquent, often moving (great poem at end of the book on the joys of being lost), and, for me, particularly pleasing when he combines his usual eloquence with a sad-eyed, Woody-Allenish humor -- as he often does in these poems.

"Mel Belin's poems in Flesh That Was Chrysalis balance the poignancy of change or loss with a spiritual optimism that a relationship or something else of transcendent value has been maintained. The book has four distinct sections held together by their intelligence, spiritual sensitivity and respect for the traditions of culture and of poetry . . . Although I was unfamiliar with Belin's poems before reading this collection, I was excited to discover a writer with his skill, his range of subjects and heart."

-- Marcia L. Hurlow, Small Press Review Nov./Dec. 2000

Mel Belin is an accomplished poet. Flesh That Was Chrysalis is an engaging anthology of his work showcasing the best that he has done to date and documents Belin as worthy of national attention. Pas De Deux: When Marguerite danced around Faust/supple and girlish, a swirl in the white/silk dress, a blush on her cheeks,/caught him in the worm of her smell--/a sachet blend of herbs, flowers---/with the hook. Mephisto, grinning/like a pitchman at some sideshow/rubes. When she flashed eyes shimmering/their moonlit lakes, and in the surrounding/brush, a savant, wrinkled, hungry/for communion,/touched him where God/was not, he signed the contract on the spot.

Masterful, hard hitting, insightful, delightful-- Belin does it all! He separates the wheat from the chaff and is on his way to immortality. Personally, I am looking forward to much, much more of Melvin Stuart Belin.

As a nature lover, I appreciate seeing the wildlife around us depicted realistically, both in words and in pictures, for children to understand and appreciate, also. Fredi is a book that does just that. When this author's cat book comes out, I want to be one of the first ones to get a copy! Mr. Anthony Jairus

I'm a librarian, and we've used this book in our Story Hour here at the library. It teaches kids not only about frogs, but the environment around us! A great book for children of all ages!

I say 'little kids' book,' but it is really an educational book for older ones as well, including myself, a retired elementary school teacher. I knew next to nothing about tree frogs until I read Fredi to my grandchildren. It has clear facts, humor, and exceptionally well- metered poetry. A fine book!

I am a day school teacher. My "children" and I loved this book, and learned a lot about tree frogs from it. The coloring book at the back also helps to impress the "frog facts" on the young mind, and the humorous rhyme telling the story is well done.

I am an Amphibian Researcher Here is a book that helps children to understand the relationship of frogs (particularly tree frogs) to the delicate balance that must be maintained in our environment. Frogs are the "indicators" of the future welfare of planet earth, and FREDI is a book that brings this out in an easy-to- understand, poetic, humorous way.

Joyce Beaulieu's book "From A Mother's Heart" is a very touching and heartfelt book for parents who has lost a child in death. I reccomend this book to not only mother's but to dad's too.

This is definitely not the type of book I ever thought I would write. However after the death of my 39 year old son to a brain anuerysm and 10 mos. later the passing of our 16 yr. old granddaughter from the flu it became apparent to me that this book was needed by so many families walking the same path of grief. The death of your child is the worst pain anyone can ever have. Your heart feels like it has been ripped out and you cannot see beyond the pain. However with a good support system and friends who have also lost a child you come to realize that you can help others by sharing your story and coping skills that helped you to make it thru "one day at a time." From A Mother's Heart is a book for everyone. Not just bereaved parents but also friends and family. Almost everyone knows someone who has lost a child and the chapter "How Can I Help?" is very useful to them in understanding the pain their relative or friend is going thru. This is a sad but faith filled book filled with hope that if the mother's who share their pain could make it so can you. My desire is to help others deal with their loss and show them they do not "walk alone". Angel Hugs,
Joyce Beaulieu.

This book is both beautiful and inspiring- Our son Andrew passed away when he was only 4 years old. Hearing from other parents who have been through this heartache means the world. This book helps us remember our children together by telling their stories. You will not regret reading this book.

I think that any book that helps people understand the process of grieving is a good tool to have. I know that having traveled this road for 4.5 years now, there are universal experiences while at the same time we are all of us different in our grief. Having met these women and men online on a grief website is significant as we all wandered to the site and found solace in one another. People helped me when I first came to the pain of losing my daughter and then I helped someone that came a few months after me. We become a circle of strength and healing. We know that those who are otherwise oblivious to the daily loss we experience are not insensitive, just luckily, not where we are. As we all find ways to best live our lives and best honor our children, I wish there hope in each parent's heart.I thank Joyce for finding this way to help us honor our kids.
Dee

I too have lost a child...My beloved daughter. Her name is Trisha and if you purchase this heart warming book you will not only read "All about Trish" and my poem "My letter to heaven" but stories and poetry from many other Mom's who have lost a child. The stories come from the inner part of a mothers heart and brought forward. The words cannot even explain the torment and grief we moms feel daily.
Joyce has done a fabulous job in putting our stories together. If you have lost a child, if you know someone who has lost a child, or if you just want to get a feel of "A Mother's Heart" you need to purchase this book. It's a keepsake. Buy it now and hold on to it. I am someone this was not suppose to happen to like many other moms who feel the same way. This book may be helpful to someone you may meet in your travels and during the journey through grief.
Blessings to Joyce in taking the time in her journey to pass this on to others.
-Paula Osipovitch...Cranbury, NJ

Like many readers, I was introduced to Gary Snyder as the character "Japhy Ryder" in Jack Kerouac's novel, "The Dharma Bums." When I found out that "Japhy", who is one of Kerouac's most memorable characters, was based on the poet Gary Snyder, I had to read his works.

This collection of Snyder's prose and poetry is an excellent introduction to the works of a man I now consider a national treasure, not just for his literary works, but as an environmentalist and natural philosopher. His prose is inspiring, revealing the ethics of a man who practices what he preaches, and his poetry is exhilarating both intellectually and spiritually. His translations from the Chinese are rendered in such a way that they are easily accessible to western readers.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Snyder's works and Beat literature in general.

Gary Snyder's writing style is clever and a part of poetic history--beat. This is a different kind of poetry. It's a good read.

most of us first heard of snyder though kerouac's dharma bums. and i must confess that is why i was 1st attracted to him and his writings. but to list snyder as just another beat it not only inaccurate it does a diservice to him, his writings and his fearless intellect. snyder is not only a great poet but is also an insightful naturalist and a true zen master. this anthology is actually a zen bible for the 21st century, filled with enjoyable reading and great insights. these writings would make the soul of han shan dance, and sakyamuni smile. this is one of my favorite books. just reading it will lighten your spirit and make your soul dance with joy.

Gary Snyder's power appears to come from mountain, meandering and meditation. In this thick sampler we visit his life to age sixty-eight through notes, prose and poems. The soil of his writings range across a fire lookout station in the Cascade Range, a Japanese Zen temple, the engine room of a Pacific freighter, an audience with the Dalai Lama, work and climbs with Ginsberg, Kerouac, Lew Welch, and Nanao Sakaki, travel in Botswana and Zimbabwe with his sons. The essence of his power is nature. "Nature is not a place to visit, it is home-and within that home territory there are more familiar and less familiar places." Two sons, one Pulitzer, many other awards so far. He writes, he reads, he teaches. One hopes that he never tires of planting words in the soil that is us. If there are any legitimate Earth heroes, Gary Snyder is one.

Gary Snyder is an amazing person. He is an intellect. He is a poet. He is a teacher, a traveler, and he is a deeply spiritual man. He lives the life that we should all attempt to lead, a conscious thinking, methodical, contemplative life, asking questions arriving at conclusions and taking action.

The Gary Snyder Reader is a good compilation of his life's work, the variety inside includes essay, interview, and poetry. This book is a well rounded view of his feelings and belief's about nature, and that of the nature of the soul, the nature of man. I agree with other reviews written here about the power of Synder's writing. His is a strong voice which is able to make a terrific argument about everything from the history of the Christian church and some reasons for underlying social perils to making a call for more activism in one's own community. Make a difference, be responsible, see things for what they are, yes this is all there.

There is also the voice of pain, loss, suffering, anger, and very deep love. Above all else, one REALLY gets the feeling that Synder loves, passionately. Gary Snyder is an extremely talented writer and poet. The same voice that won the Pulitzer is still here. Do more than read and enjoy his works, read and be changed.

Robbyne Kaamil's poems, as brilliant as they are stinging, are the juxtaposition of the profound and the profane. She uplifts the divine found lurking in the shadows of vile desperation and despair. Marvel in her words; the words of the Poet Laureate of a new century.

I must say that this book of poetry/truth is amazing. Robbyne has definitely given the black readers something to think about no matter if it is in our relationships with ourselves, family, friends, and/or body parts. She has explored avenues that only some minds go to in quiet corners in dark places. She is truly a gifted and talented writer.
I, also had the pleasure of seeing her in person in NYC at Rose's Turn. She was just AWESOME! I recommend seeing her in person to fully feel the depths of her words. You will walk away lifted and full.

I stept off the titties and I am so happy I did. This book is a must

I've read "Get Off the Titty" and found this book to be extremely frank! Freedom of speech and the ability to deliver it openly is the greastest form of expression. I highly recommend this book to anyone who visualizes and expects an honest view of life experiences!

I happened up on this book while walking around Chicago. Had to buy it! This ain't pretty words strung togther. It's stining ideas, frankness. The words of someone who REALLY wants to talk and share and has something to contribute.

I NEEDED her perspective as a woman; as a Black woman; and urban person.

There isn't enough of this kind of wirk around. This truly give an aware reader things to think on. It'll shock the people who don't need to be reading it in the first place.

Robbyne, give us more!

Being a strong advocate of poetry and what it gives to this world, and being a poet myself, I found The Ghosts of Anne and Sylvia to be a very intimate, powerful, and inspirational book. I first read the book on a road trip from Boise to Moscow, Idaho. This trip is five hours long, and reading this book aloud to my friend while driving dissapated 45 minutes worth the the scenic ride, without either of our acknowledgement. While reading the book, it was quiet apparent that I couldn't help but stop and constantly comment on the word use, the strong metephors, or my relation to the poetry. When I returned to Moscow I had my own anthology of poetry to put together for my english class, I refered back to the last poem of this book, using it as inspiration for the title. I applaud both of these women for bringing such an powerful piece of mind and soul back to the table of the world of literature, and would recomend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry, and the pieces of our own lives that can be put together through its words.

-Mollie M.

The poems in The Ghosts of Anne & Sylvia are accessible, yet intelligent - a unique combination in a book of poetry. The poems themselves touch on recognizable themes and are filled with striking imagery - all crafted in a way that any adult or even teen reader could relate to. The book makes poetry relevant and exciting again.

i haven't read poetry since i was forced to in college, but after thumbing through this collection on a friend's coffee table, i was moved to buy my own copy. i kind of get it now. reading these poems is a visceral experience. while i know nothing of neither anne nor sylvia - this collection has ignited an interest in poetry within myself that will extend beyond watching Def Poetry Jam.

I just received your book! Your poetry is beautiful and full of honesty. I love it, and look forward to reading more. Thanks

The Ghosts of Anne and Sylvia deftly fills your senses with ardent prose. Wickedly stylish poetry woven between two authors and two historic women. It takes you on a journey of discovery thats fresh and richly honest. It was an absolutely superb read, and I look forward to much more from these authors!

These poems were terrific! I laughed, my kids laughed. The poems were goofy and gross! I just cannot say enough good things about this book. I think this would be a great book to use as a teacher of primary grades, and even older to break the ice or to break up a rough day (all you teachers know what I am talking about!!!)

My boys--ages 5 and 6--LOVE this book. Their favorite poem is "booger love" but we all laugh our way through the book. It's at the top of our reading list every night for bedtime!!!

I bought this book for my son because we have "No Jumping on the Bed" and "No More Water in the Tub" and my son loves reading them. Giant Children is so much fun to read, even for adults! We just purchased it for Christmas, and already my son has practically memorized the entire book. Ted Arnold is a genious.

This book is one of the best books you can read to an audience! The book is read from a voice. The voice is either a little sibling, kindergardener or another character. When the reader becomes that character, the story involves humor and excitment! I have seen the book performed by the author hisself and the effect on the students and staff was remarkeable. If you can become this voice and encourage your students to read, this is the book for you! The students will be encouraged to create their own poem with matching illustrations and want to perform for you!

The first thing that stands out about this book of poetry is Tedd Arnold's typical illustration style. The children are shaped like sausages with arms and legs with HUGE bug eyes. However, they are expressive little children who do things that kids will laugh at. If you get someone to read these poems aloud with a lot of expression, then it is a riot. My favorite one for gross-out factor is "Booger Love." I was the aide to a wonderful school teacher who read these poems to her kids during a free moment, and they LOVED them. Try it on your own kids today!