Poetry Books

I bought this book, and Merrit's book, "My Song for Him Who Never Sang for Me" Both were very inspiring and had a lasting effect in my life. Unfortunately, both books were lost in a fire. I'm desparate to find another copy of each. If you have one, or if you know where I can get one, please e-mail me at "TROCOLO@AOL.COM". Two of my favorite poems were, "The Maintenance Man" and a poem about a "Flight at JFK". If I could even get copies of those two poems, I'd be so delighted. Thanks.

She is the bomb. Creative, deep, whimisical, intelligent, I honestly have never read better poetry. Her words transend unexaplanable emotions and experiences to light. Buy this book

I have been reading her books since my teen years. She inspired me in ways I only wish I could tell her about ! Her books have made be laugh , cry , grow stronger and brought me many hours of deep thought. I only hope Mom's hand her books down to thier daughters , I have and she writes poetry now that is amazing ! Thank you Merrit ....Where ever you are.

I read it seven years ago at the age of 17. I've been a poet since I was 10, but had only envisioned poetry as poetry when it rhymed until Merrit who turned her work loose on me. I read her entire book of poetry in an hour or so (if it took that long... maybe longer). I had checked it out from the library. At the time I picked up her book I was stuck in the forced rhyme stage... producing maybe a good poem here and there. Her book, through a style I was unfamiliar with, was put right in my face. A style I'd never thought of. Never could find but was always looking for. It's a delicate style of experiences spoken almost in the average language with a lot of puns and perhaps raw surprises along the ending... sometimes tossed throughought or just raw truths that pull you in to experience that specific moment.

You begin to imagine an entire life that this person went through, perhaps her, perhaps not. Maybe a bit of both. On my own terms I've come a long way since her book. Driven into a style of my own because of Merrit's book. It showed me a new kind of poetry. It's beautiful through its simplicity. Since then her book has given me a need for more poetic food. From that one book I've been led to a path that has kept me from making a mistake most poets make. Trying to re-create a new poem through a previous poem's success.

Great poems cannot be a duplicate of another. You can't give one poem the same sound or voice as another or it will fail. The beginning of that failure being the lack in your sincerity. It has to stand on its own--not be a crutch to another poem. Each poem needs your unique devotion. It's a love affair with each one! If you're cheating then it will never truly feel like a poem to those who care about their work. It will be like an out of tune key on a piano that just keeps rubbing you the wrong way. A bad itch.

So although I love Merrit's work, her book has shown me that I don't have to duplicate her voice, but find my own. Her style is her style and that's what makes her book so fantastic. She created her own concept of poetry. So now when anyone asks who my favorite poet is... it's not hard to find an answer. Her book of poetry is the only book I've found that's amazing in its entire volume. Since then I've still only found tidbits here and there... a poem here and there that I like from each poet. Never an entire volume of work like I found in Merrit Malloy's work.

For years I was snoozing when I read poems wondering why I was so bored... then I caught sight of her book and found it was all in the style of poetry and most poetry is boring! Which is why it's so great when you can actually find a poet that can write more than maybe 2-3 poems that you love! It's rare.

I had no idea who Merrit Malloy was until I read this book on my sisters desk, I've been writing poetry ever since. The words written here are from the heart of every woman and are captured perfectly. I'm now trying to publish my own work mainly inspired by her style and type of writting. It's everyday common sense poems let me know that someone else is feeling the same things I am. Most people I know that love Malloy's work are older of the 60's and 70's generation. I'm only 20 and esteem her with poets like Frost and Whitman. So you now know the Mtv generation loves your poems as well as everyone else. Thank you.

While there are other good translations of selections from the Canzoniere, Petrarcch's masterpiece needs to be read as a whole from start to finish in order to be fully appreciated. Petrarch planned and rewrote these poems in order to fit into an overall plan.
Usually I skip introductions to works that I read but I read the first paragraph of the extensive introduction and was quickly drawn in. This introduction was actualy a helpful prologue to the poetry which descibed Petrach's styles and intentions.
A blurb on the book cover says that Musa's treanslations read so well that you are unaware that they are translations. I certainly agree. I do not read Italian but this edition does conain the originals on the adjacent side.
I was surprised at the modernity and musicality of the poems. Petrarch was not just inflouential in his versification but also in his language. Much of his humanistic language has become second nature to us but he invented it.
I rank this book as not only some of the graetest poetry but as one ofthe great works of Western llterature.
These "little songs" are highly readble and like a said before form a sort of novelistic story that I would highly recommend to not just poetry readers but all readers.

In addition to one of the finest translations, Musa provides much useful background information. He includes a chronological table that comprises when the poems were written and times when the events occurred in Petrarch's live. The notes and commentary, not footnoted but located separately from the poems in a chapter at the end of the book, are detailed descriptions about the poems and its allegories. Musa tells readers about the name "Laura" and its connection to the laurel. Through the various explanations of Italian lyrics, readers learn how to differentiate between various poetic genres. The book also has the original Italian text as well as the English translation, so that readers can compare them. It is a great way to learn how to read Italian. Another important feature is the works cited because scholars can seek the same readings that Musa used for his book. And also, the index of the first lines is very helpful when one remembers a few beginning words of the poem and wants to know where it is located in the book. This edition is a must for anyone who collects the works of Petrarca.

Musa's translations preserve all the brilliant visionary beauty & humble humanness of Petrarch's voice. & where would western literature be without Petrarch? He was one of the main people to bring Europe out of the Middle Ages.

Petrarch, an Italian poet in the early 1300's, had a major influence on English literature in the 16th and 17th centuries. In a series of sonnets that became known as Canzoniere, Petrarch focused on his idea of love based on the sighting of a woman named Laura in a church. Though she was married, Petrarch confessed his love to her but was rebuked each time. With his love unreturned, he channeled that energy into his poetry and instead of trying to persuade Laura, his poetry idealizes and describes the concepts related to beauty. The poetry of the "lover" to the "beloved" describes Laura with "godly" attributes. The beloved is a woman who has an angelic appearance and a certain grace in her mannerisms. Physically, the beloved has blonde hair, blue eyes and pale white skin with red cheeks. She is radiant in appearance and can strike a man's heart in seconds. In addition, Petrarch's writing mechanics influenced the style in which future poems were written. Petrarch's poetry also followed a distinct meter, usually an octave scale. Petrarch's deliberate style and notion of beauty found in his sonnets set a new standard for writing.

Sidney, Spencer, and even Shakespeare were familiar with, and heavily influenced by, Petrarch's work. Other English poets like Henry Howard and Sir Thoms Wyatt tried to translate Petrarch's poetry. In order to understand this entire time peroid, one should go back to the roots and read the original. Mark Musa's translation includes the original Italian version as well as an excellent English translation. My professors also use this book because the translations stay as close to the original as possible. Though something is always lost in translation, these poems feel as if they are whole, and should be read as one long story. Musa's critical notes at the end of the book provide excellent insight into Petrarch's style, form and meaning. This is a great version of the Canzoniere and I highly recommend it.

This edition of Petrarch's Canzoniere (trans. Mark Musa) is the best English rendering I have seen. Durling's edition, while useful in different ways (I would certainly reccommend both to anyone seriously interested in Petrarch), doesn't provide translations that are nearly as poetic or comfortable as these. Musa's experience from translating Dante's Divine Comedy and Vita Nuova, Boccaccio's Decameron, and even, previously, portions of Petrarch's Canzoniere, definitely shines through here - Musa knows his way around the Italian greats, and it shows in this translation.

These poems have to be the most entertaining and creative poems Bukowski wrote. Drab and dullness are never portrayed in these writings. His outlook towards women, writing, drinking, politics, people and the city of LA and all his experiences are summed up well in this book.

I've long been a fan of Bukowski and it's nice to have such a large collection at my fingertips. It's nice to read some of the old poems, one more time. He was a classic.

this book is great for what it is intended for. A look at Bukowski in a sort of encyclopedic form. Bukowski is very real and heartfelt but in the most simplest blunt fashion and I mean that to be very appreciative.

THE PLEASURES OF THE DAMNED is a collection of Charles Bukowski's poems, 548 pages of them, many of them from earlier volumes of poetry, some of them never before published. For anyone familiar with Bukowski, there are few if any surprises here, rather a healthy sampling of this iconoclast's poetry. So very autobiographical, many of these poems are about the things Bukowski loved: the races, cats (you can learn from them), booze, poetry (he calls himself a poetry junkie), Wagner, sex (like Mahler, you do not rush it), some women. He can write a paean to a lover in "The Shower" but then say in another poem that American women, as opposed to Japanese women, "will kill you like they tear a lampshade." He is not reticent in writing about people and things he hates as well: some writers, especially Hemingway, whom he describes as "just a drunk"-- the irony is that in "a clean, well-lighted place," his description of Hemingway's use of his literary reputation to reel women in "one at a time" sounds like Bukowski himself-- critics, mindless work. (He pictures workers trapped in jobs that go nowhere as having "goldfish security.)

Nothing was immune from Bukowski's pen. Apparently he could write about any subject. There are poems here on the killing of elephants in Vietnam, a grammar school bully remembered, the ignorance of youth, a trip to the doctor, picturing himself in a nursing home, a conversation with death, an old car ("a poor man's miracle"), the abuse that both he and his mother suffered at the hands of his father (his mother had "the saddest smile I ever knew"), the homeless, the old, poor, sick and dying, throwing a radio out a window, etc., etc.

No one would say that Bukowski wrote "pretty" poems. On the other hand, we cannot deny that many of them go straight to the bone. In "eating my senior citizen's dinner at the Sizzler" (what a horrendous image) markers in modern cemeteries are "flat on the ground, it's much more pleasant for passing traffic." His world is inhabited by a sixty-five-year-old man with cancer who kills his sixty-six-year-old wife who has Alzheimer's and then kills himself and a house that is sad because it is inhabited with people who have mindless, dead-end jobs. For many of the people Bukowski writes about, "it's a lonely world/of frightened people,/just as it has always/been." On the other hand, in the poem entitled "mind and heart" (p. 523), he acknowledges that we are all alone, "forever alone" but goes on to say that "I have been alone but seldom lonely."

Reading Bukowski reminds you of Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg--although he certainly is not derivative of any other writer-- but a case can be made that he is a lot closer in his mood and world view to some of the darker poems of both Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson than he probably would have acknowledged. There is a place in the parade of poets for anyone who speaks the truth: the Robert Frosts, the Emily Dickinsons, the Donald Halls, the Edwin Arlington Robinsons along with the Charles Bukowskis.

I used to work for a newspaper here in chicago that exclusively devoted itself to bars, every bar, in the city of chicago. Most of these establishments were pretty decent but there were a few that probably should have gone out of business some time ago but still somehow subsisted on older patrons who went and drank there. These were older drinkers who would sit at the bar alone or hollar accross at someone else sitting at the other end. My first reaction was, first of all I cant believe theres people like this, and secondly, after reading The pleasures of the damned, I visualized this mans character in one of these bars.
Bokowski's writing style teeters between poetry and plain old conversation that make him enjoyable to read. dont be fooled by the scruff, hes a more articulate character than your average dead beat drunk. I was happy to have come accross his work a little older as I am now fully able to understand much of his work as I would not have before. Ranging from the pornographic to the delicate still life of other people in their life, his style of writing reads as if someone is actually verbalizing the words, telling you a story, in slang, in short conversational style, that make his bite size confucious style poems worth a read.
I was exposed to Charles Bukowski from a DVD documentary about the author, and came to his books later, which is how i suggest others become acquainted with his work.
A true american diamond, Bukowski is one of the rarest of success stories, which make his work more rewarding to read. A true plain spoken style of the fringe.

I grew up with this book in our family library. There was always a poem for me to copy for every occasion that I would write to someone, need a speech for school, or to enclose in a birthday or special occasion card. The style of each poem was universal. I NEED THIS BOOK! And now I can't find it anywhere. I'd be happy to get a second hand copy if nothing else. Still searching in Oregon but worth the effort!

I just read James J. Melcalfe's book titled, "More Poem Portraits." I loved it! I would really like to purchase a copy of it for myself. In fact, I would purchase copies to be used as gifts for friends. (The book I read is very old and belongs to a friend.)

I've loved his poems since reading them as a daily feature in the Charleston News & Courier in the 1950's. I have searched for this author's works in every library I've visited. No one has ever heard of him. Where can I find the source of "Garden in My Heart" and "Poem Portraits" -- surely it isn't hopeless! His poetry has a quiet and gentle charm that reaches right into one's heart and stays there for years.

I have loved these poems since the 50s and cut one out of the newspaper in 1956 and still have it. Since then I have started a collection of his books. I now have 5 of them and still looking for "Garden in My Heart". I have a website of James J. Metcalfe Poems. Let me know if you know where I can find "Garden in My Heart".

I have three books by J.J.Metcalfe that I founded at a second hand store, Poem Portraits,Poem Portraits of Inspiration, and Love Portraits I loved them all and I can not get enough of his work now I'm looking for his other six books Garden in my Heart, More Poem Portraits, Daily Poem Portraits, Poem Portraits of the Saints, Poems for Children, and My Rosary of Rhymes does any one know where I my find any of the books I named?

It is bracing to read a collection of verse that sustains the manuscript's title throughout the publication. The book is subcategorized into eight sections with an Addendum, and the entire assemblage maintains one unmistakeable theme: America's Prison System Does Not Work.

The first poem in Part I, PERSPECTIVE, is the title poem, "Poetic Justice". The poem bluntly states that we should "Build prisons/not daycare/lock 'em up/what do we care?" with a cynical slant, but it is clear that Professor Johnson writes with authority.

Section V, "THE CORPORATE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER" gives the reader a collection of five pieces written in the form of a 'prayer-book'. The second poem, called A PATRIARCH'S PROTOCOL, is a prayer in the tone of Psalms 32, with phrases riddled throughout such as, "...hollow be/Thy Claim/Thy Fortune Come/They will be Mum/On CNN/and before Congress/..."--just one example of the metaphorical wit that Mr. Johnson uses throughout the book. I especially liked Section VII's poem called GLOBAL VILLAGE LIFE, where we "...forget about victims of injustice, real and imagined,/whose resentments simmer and boil/just below the surface of village life..." A profound piece.

His voice changes throughout the book, from the voice of an executioner, to a man on death row, to a lamenting mother of a convicted felon. The empathy that the writer conveys gives the reader a sense of understanding that wouldn't be possible had just any poet/writer tried to create such a unique collection. Johnson's involvement with the corporate-controlled prison system gives him an advantage, and the collection rings honest and forthright.

The poems remind us that the concept of vengeance leads our society to an inevitable path of constant retaliation, and a system based on regressive practices is bound to fail--not only for the "prisoners", but for the corrections employees and the victims as well.

There are several poems that are characteristic of Johnson's intrinsic, fluid wit, each one worth savoring not only for their lucidity--which is no simple task for many poets--but for the edification that these poems extend to the reader.

The entire collection comprising POETIC JUSTICE is heroic, to say the least. Robert Johnson not only offers up technically balanced and concise verses, but they bear the stamp of honest, as well. The arenas of our imperfect justice system merit a reawakening in our society, and this book not only helps to clarify exactly what is wrong with "justice", but it vilifies the fallacy that all is well within our courts. All in all, I was left with a sense of America's perpetual proclivity towards the scales of justice leaning more towards the inequitable, which is, in itself, a sort of Poetic Justice.

Robert Johnson's work, starting with classic texts such as Death Work, resonates with layers of meaning and a passionate conviction that without a commitment to justice, life is not worth living. For years he has been inspiring students and scholars of justice and law across the world not only to do probing analyses but also to make changes in their lives and their work. Now, with his first book of poems, Poetic Justice, Johnson reaches out to a wider audience of readers, bringing his passionate scrutiny of injustice to life with words that sing out the wrongs of contemporary society and the confusion of vengeance with justice. His "Police line: Do not cross," ironically intertwines the call to order and the institution of policing and the inadequacies of our own internal governance. His "Reptile House" provides a chilling and powerful metaphoric exploration of the prison experience. Throughout this collection, Johnson's insightful use of irony, metaphor, incisive allusion, and rhythm brings to life terror and brutality in the justice system and makes real the necessary and fundamental insight that we have all been wronged, that we all are victims of injustice as well as purveyors of it, and that to move forward toward a more just society, we must all recognize ourselves in each other. Johnson's poems do just this. They should be read and re-read by all who are concerned about inhumanity and injustice, all who are concerned about constructing a better and more just society.

In the work Poetic Justice, Rob Johnson takes the reader on a fascinating portrayal of life as an inmate experiences it. Johnson eloquently humanizes the prison experience, and in so doing allows the reader an intimate exposure to the world of the incarcerated. The raw and often dispassionate views are real and force the reader to realize just how ineffective our modern prison system is. The empathy that is often conveyed in even the most simple of passages is disturbing and challenges all who read these verses to recognize the need to rectify societies thirst for vengeance and retribution while adopting solutions that are not only theoreticaly sound but practically effective as well. Our modern prison system is in an imbalanced impasse where both staff and inmates co-exist in a limbo of uncertainty of each other, and where human congestion results in a gauntlet of violence, greed and desperation.

As a college instructor, I have found this reader to be of utmost value in having students relate many of the theories of criminology that we study in class to the verses of the poems.
The very first poem which uses the book's title "Poetic Justice" emphasizes a collaboration of conflict theory and class hostility, along with social structural theories such as disorganization and strain theory in which the author posits "Build prisons not day-care, lock 'em up what do we care? Hire cops, not counselors, staff courts, not clinics, wage warfare, not welfare." Our system of government, schools, and employment often creates the very problems they portend to deal with by not providing the assistance, education, employment and comunity programs where needed. The government advocates punishment over rehabilitation and structural services to provide for the poor and disenfranchised. With limited opportunities, disillusionment grows as does poverty and crime.

In another poem entitled "Busted," the author relates "You thought you'd make a big score, now you face the prison door." "But once we tag you a criminal, we hate to let you go." "Busted, sitting in a squad car,...looking in the rearview mirror at the life you left behind." In this selection, classical theory with it's emphasis on "free will" is evident along with social strain, particularly institutional anomie and relative deprivation, to convey the feeling of being busted. Labeling thoery is also examined through a series of successful degradation ceremonies of a a life of freedom now squandered for a life behind bars.

In "Colder" a violent offender has turned to crime as a result of weakened social bonds. Indeed, he is often cold and calculating, "disconnected," and numb to emotion like a machine or "robot." Since his primary source of socialization was absent during his early childhood, little was learned of compassion and comfort, he feels no attachment to his victims. He lacked the discipline, care and support offered by strong family ties. There is no containment, self-enhancement, or strong bonds or models to imitate. "He lives for revenge -cold world, cold comfort." He is doomed to a life of crime and misery. "There's no over the rainbow for this guy, just one long storm."

In classic Marxian taste, Johnson dispels any rumors that prisons are non-discriminating in the poem "Prison." His not so subtle use of such terms as "people of poverty," "working wounded," "dispossessed," and "discarded," clearly points to the prison industry as being created almost entirely with the thought of the poor and indigent in mind, indeed, to smother the hopes of the impoverished. Dehumanization and the ultimate sense of total exclusion from society is echoed in "Prison time out of sight, time out of mind, for those who don't toe the line." Still, one is left to wonder whether the inmate failed society or did society fail the inmate?

These were only a sampling of the many theoretical compositions that are readily apparent in these poems. In almost every case, several theories can be examined which is a great method to get students to understand the theories more concretely when used in the light of both prose and poetry. I highly recommend this reader for both undergraduate and graduate courses in criminology or criminal justice.

Poignant and powerful, lyrical and raw, Rob Johnson's poems make us feel and think about what the death penalty does to the condemned, and to us. A gem for lovers of poetry and undergraduates in criminal justice or ethics courses alike.

What a wonderful and unusual book! Robert Johnson, well-known for his scholarly analyses of the experiences of prisoners on death row and of their executioners, here presents poems that his studies have inspired him to write. While his rightly-acclaimed scholarly books tell us what his brain learned from studying the darkest corners of our criminal justice system, his poems tell us what his heart learned: "All of us, made/Cold as ice, hard as steel/unable to feel/the harm we do/in the name of justice." Anyone who wants a full understanding of criminal justice in America should not read only scholarly works of the sort that Johnson and others have written, but should read this book as well!

As the author of "Of Life Immense: The Prophetic Vision of Walt Whitman," I have many copies of "Leaves of Grass," along with many other books about Walt Whitman. The "Library of America Edition" is very well done, beautiful to read and wonderful to hold. Justin Kaplan"s commentary is insightful and his selection of Whitman's prose provides the reader with significant understanding of Whitman's life. If you have only one book by and about Walt Whitman, this may well be the book you should have.

trinity. My debt and appreciation has never diminished to this threesome. In fact, only increases.


The reason that I came across the Library of America series is that after many years of use, my copy of 'Leaves of Grass' was giving way to time. I was looking for a quality hardcover that I would not only use over and over again, but one that looked elegant on my book shelf.


I am completely happy with both the quality of the book: binding, cover, print, paper and compactness as well as the contents. There are volumes of Whitman's written words available, and are worth the owning, but this collection captures his essence, and should go a long way in keeping the lover of 'Leaves of Grass' happy and satisfied.

I picked up this book in the Spring of 1990 while browsing in a bookstore. I'm no student of poetry, in fact I only purchased it because I randomly flipped it open and was enamored with the passage I found. I learned that the passage is from "Song of Myself" and have read both that epic poem and the entire collection through dozens of times.

I didn't know exactly what I had purchased that day. But over time find that turning to Whitman's poetry and prose has been a source of comfort. I find myself in his writings, and find that his messages apply clearly in the present day. This volume is a pretty hefty way to start with Whitman--you get everything from the start. If you choose to buy it, I suggest randomly exploring it--stopping here and there to read a poem. I spent weeks exploring that way, only later did I read everything from start to finish. The simplicity of the writing and the clarity of meaning is remarkable.

The Library of America edition is--in itself--beautiful. Well bound, fine paper, still in excellent condition after 15 years of use. When reading it, it is impossible not to appreciate the caliber of it's manufacture: the choice of paper, inks, typefaces, binding, etc. contribute to pleasurable experience. I have a small number of other Library of America volumes, and each is exquisitely assembled and a joy to read. They are not inexpensive, but I'd argue that they are most definitely worth every penny.

Exuberant, sensual (without ever being pornographic), hedonistic, Whitman is one of a kind and truly American. It's difficult to explain why I enjoy Whitman's work so much. I guess it's because he is at peace with himself and enjoys people, life, and the American ideal so much! I read it and enjoyed Whitman in high school. Now, I read a little at a time taking in the words and the images his describes.

Beethoven killed classical style. It kind of ends with him. He was soooo good that he was impossible to follow. Others had to go in other directions.

But Whitman invents modern poetry. And with his Beethoven intensity and skill ought to have killed it, with his "Leaves of Grass". But poets are hardier than musicians, I suppose. You need a Whitman scale to rate poets. Really excellent gets a W0.5 (from 0 to 1). Like that.

But so does Whitman himself. His first real work was called "Leaves of Grass". His second was called "Leaves of Grass". His third, "Leaves of Grass"...

He kept improving his older stuff and adding on. It got bigger and bigger and bigger. Historically, you may want an older version. But this one is the mother load.

AND .... this is the big and .... it has the best preface of any book ever written. Period. No contest. He wrote this in his later years and the preface is a work of its own. Magnificent. This book makes me blue in that I could never rise to this level of speech and thought given infinite resources and tutoring. So it stands there like a continent. Explore it.

This is the Modern Library edition of the classic Dorothy Parker collection of stories and poems. If you want to introduce someone to Mrs. Parker - maybe with a birthday gift book - get this.

The first half is divided into verse from the collected editions Enough Rope, Sunset Gun, Death and Taxes; the second half is more than 25 short stories. It's a compact little hardcover book, with an old style typeface, and moderately priced. Even the dust jacket is classy.

This book is a compilation of all three of Parker's books of poetry as well as her published book of short stories. As for the price, it can't be beat, especially considering it's in hardcover. Plus, you also don't have to worry about buying 2 or 3 books to make sure you've got all of the poems you wanted.

Dorothy Parker's writing is fantastic anyway, and uses cynical wit to draw the reader into the poem. The reader laughs, but manages to feel empathetic. Her style is unique and doesn't seem outdated, even though most of this was written at least half a century ago. If you've ever wanted to laugh about being broken-hearted, this is the book for you.

Not that I dislike her poems (I only read about a dozen) but I bought this book primarily for the stories. And I still don't regret it. Parker's stories can be separated in 2 or 3 groups; the cleverly sarcastic ones (most of the stories I believe), the third-person narrative ones (much rarer) with a rather grave tone (quite emotionally loaded), and the third group I do not remember because I read this book a while ago. Bear with me...

I have to say that nearly all of these stories made me want to purchase a gun and start to kill people randomly. Why? Because Parker has a way to present us the unnice sides of humans in such a way that you feel it like a personal attack (not an attack from the author to you, but one from the characters to another character, and that will make you want to break something). I guess that means Dorothy is good at making the reader emotionally involved; and she is. However sarcastic and cynical she gets, you always know how to take it, you always know what it means. It's a bit like someone telling you something terribly sad and adding a smile to it; you know it does not mean they are happy at all, but you understand it in a deeper way. Sorry if this all sounds far-fetched and fancy; I do suck at reviews. (This being said, that's a purely personal standard, on an amazon standard, I think I'm doing fairly well.)

Lastly, a word about Modern Library. Their books are definitely classy. I always prefer a hardcover to a paperback, so this edition made my day. The paper quality is a quite a fine one as well and the font is classy too (it has some special "e" in it, with a diagonal bar, but I don't think you'd notice that unless you were told).

Great book. Ideal for any Dorothy Parker fan

Here you have it, all of the wit and charm of Dorothy Parker in one neat compact volume. The poems, many of which I had read before, are brilliant and stunning, having the punch of an O. Henry story in one or two little pages. The short stories, of which I had read exactly none before I picked up this book, are, incredibly, just as good as her verses. Full of the pathos and drama of a wide variety of domestic experience, these prose gems are brimming with smart and realistic dialogue seldom found in any medium. Some of the best tales are simply inner monologues of a woman doing ordinary things like waiting for the man she adores to call her on the phone or dancing with a clog footed bore who keeps kicking her in the shins. These pieces are so well done and so dead on that they would make great audition pieces for budding actresses to impress a casting agent with. Much has been made of Dorothy Parker's unhappiness and self destructive behavior, but despite, or possibly because of, her abject misery, the lady could put pen to paper. Her work, much more than her biography, is what should stand the test of time. If you like this book and simply have to have more, you should also pick up "Not Much Fun: The Lost Poems of Dorothy Parker" compiled by Stuart Silverstein and collecting, many for the first time, the poems that Dottie wasn't that fond of--they are brilliant as well.

I bought this one for my daughter who was studying Robert Frost in first grade. The illustrations are lovely, and she treasures the book. The only disappointment was that it doesn't contain the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" (one of our favorites). From the cover picture, I'd expected it to contain that one.
Still, I'm glad I bought it for her.

I'm a little surprised at the recommended age for this book. Perhaps they are thinking of children reading it for themselves. Parents and teachers enjoy reading these poems to children and talking about their own experiences. The book is a wonderful tool for helping preschoolers learn to love books as they relate the poet's imagery to their own experiences.

I read Poetry for Young People by Robert Frost. While I do not enjoy poetry, I felt this was a good introduction to his work.

"The Cow in Apple Time" gives the cow some personality by telling how she left the boring old pasture in search of something sweet and perhaps it wasn't a good idea because she ends up with an upset stomach and her milk runs dry.

"A Prayer in the Spring" talks about the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It tells about the dreariness of winter coming alive with the colors of spring and the changes that must take place as time changes.

Another of his poems from the book is "Now Close the Windows" is similar to "A Prayer in the Spring" because it's about change, but it's the change from warmer days to the coming winter.

If I had to pick a favorite from this book, it would have to be "The Last Word of a Bluebird" because it personifies the crow and the bluebird. The crow speaks about the bluebird who is flying south for the winter. The bluebird left a message for a young girls and it shows concern for the girl to take care to stay warm and not get sick. He also says he will be returning in the Spring when the weather turns warm again.

This title is another respectable addition to this artful series of books introducing young people (and others) to the work of beloved poets.

The book opens with a short biography of Frost. I enjoyed it immensely - as a writer I was inspired to see that this Pulitzer Prize winner had to actually leave his home in order to write because at first, no one thought his work was high enough quality to publish.

He gave up his farm to write. He first wrote his poetry at night, when the farm was still until finally - he focused on his main love - words.

The poetry is divided by season, with Henri Sorenson's glorious watercolor illustrations providing the perfect counterpoint and setting to the words of Frost.

Savor this book as a beginners guide - and lover's meditation - on the work of Frost.

This book is quite well done and gives a good representation of Frost's work. It of course in an introduction and the poems chosen hit the nail on the head. The illustrations are great and well fit the poem being addressed. There is a very nice introducion in the form of a simple biography of Frost in the front of the book which is quite useful. The addited comments by the Editor are quite good and thought provoking. I cannot recommened this one high enough.Some of the Poems included are, The Pasture, Rose Pogonias, A Girls Garden, Ghost House, Birches, Mending Wall, The Wood Pile and quite a number of others.

Asking variations on the basic question of what role place has in the poetry of more than 45 contemporary America poets, Pfefferle elicits a rich and revealing variety of responses. Many of the responses angle into the explicit and implicit influences of the region a particular poet is from, such as Florida, the South in general, or New England. Some poets who have moved to one or more different places reflect on changes in impressions and attachments to place. Nikki Giovanni, Peter Cooley, Mark Strand, and Charles Wright are among the poets whose names will be recognized by many. There's snapshots of some of the poets, or a photo of a local scene. And many of the numerous poets supply a poem illustrating what they have to say about the role of place in their work.

Pfefferle has got it right here, with just the perfect balance between the life-on-the-road business and the careful, thoughtful, and always engaging interviews with terrific, curious, cagey American poets. "Place" is a wonderful addition to the body of writing on and about poetry, makes a marvelous classroom addition, and is great and satisfying reading page-by-page. A tour de force performance by all involved!

One of the poets within these pages recently read at a nearby college (Scott Carins of Columbia, MO), and he talked briefly about the book. I picked it up locally and have used it to guide me to a wealth of poets I'd never heard of: Mark Wunderlich, Denise Duhamel, Richard Shelton, and David St. John. The book contains not just more than 60 interviews but also a travel-log of Pfefferle's trip. It makes for good reading for boomers like me who want to ditch it all and travel the country. Use it as a map to towns and poets.

A friend put this book in my hands as I worked on preparing a talk on the influence of place in my own poetry. I found "Poets on Place" so invaluable that I typed many pages of detailed notes to ruminate on.

It's an attractive work replete with compementary elements to the main dish of the interviews. Here we have an on-going mystery story: what will Pfefferle and his wife Beth make of thier lives after life on the road? What is life on the road like? There's enough of this to give spice to a full meal of photos, impressionistic portraits of the poets and their surroundings to give a context to the interviews, and the wonderful poems to show the fruits of place and the source of the discussion.

The foreword by David St. John is a treasure of wisdom;I draw many insights from it.

--Janet Grace Riehl, author Sightlines: A Poet's Diary

I don't usually write reviews, but I was so taken by W.T. Pfefferle's Poets on Place that I felt compelled to praise it here. It provides a portrait of American poetry at the beginning of the 21st century that should be interesting and useful to both poets and scholars alike, and also a fascinating and beautifully understated story of a quest to find something of life beyond the ordinary, something beyond the cliches and stereotypes we often use to define ourselves. Much of the beauty of the book is due to Pfefferle's skill as a writer, and his own deep understanding of poetry makes the interviews read like intelligent conversations between equals. A great book.

It is a great Book our Son has one for Bedtime and we wanted the same for our next Baby due any day.

Thanks

This book has been around a long time. When my grandson was little his mother and father read this book to him each night along with several books he was allowed to choose. When I visited him he asked me to read the book, even before his afternoon nap. Ageless......

My 5 year old loves to say a prayer every night and each morning. This book has prayers for all occasions. They are simple for her to remember. The illustrations are wonderful and fit in great with the prayers. She knows which are night time and day time prayers by looking at the pictures. You can never go wrong with Little Golden Books. I look forward to sharing this for years to come!

Over the years that I have taught Sunday school I have used this book on many occasions. The words in it are simple enough for small children to say and meaningful enough for us older children to use.

The amazing invitation in Scripture to actually talk to the Father in Heaven through His Son, is something that every child needs to know.
The world is often a frightening place to little ones. This lovely little book, so beautifully illustrated, helps us teach little ones about a kind, good, powerful Heavenly Father Who cares and hears our prayers.
It also serves to link generations in a communal perspective because the prayers in this wee book were offered up by grandparents and parents of past generations. I am delighted that it is still available! In a world where selfish ambition drives and greed thrives, this little book directs focus to another realm and encourages excellence: God, make my life a little song/That comforteth the sad,/That helpeth others to be strong/ And makes the singer glad.