Poets Books

I had read a few books by L. Simpson and I considered him a very good poet, but this collection of his work confirms he is a modern classic. One of the best poets of the century.

Louis Simpson is an American treasure. His poetry is honest, yet
mysterious - plain-spoken, yet artful. This collection offers not only those poems which have long garnered him our highest accolades, but also new poems which reveal an owner of the house who is very much at home. What a rare invitation this collection is - an open door to an open heart! A large heart.
An expansive mind. A rare talent.

This work contains many themes about life, pogroms, immigrants,
the homeless and occasionally theology. Here are some samples.

"To the north (Mauka)
a mass of rosy clouds
two slopes of a mountain
sprinkled with garden lights. (Kaimana Beach)

or

"Beside a Church we dug our holes,
By tombstone and by cross
They were too shallow for our souls
When the ground began to toss. "

The readings make for an entertaining session. This poetry
is light-hearted but it is not elegant in the style of
an Evangeline or Edgar Allen Poe work.

from the womb of Jamaica into the tomb of Wheeler Hall but he kept on writing, and thinking in writing, and deforming the narrative poem into a wry little lyric full of pithy sense and twisted ironice morals. I have loved his work a along time, and the man is part of the whole thing, what Wallace Stevens praised as "The Whole Man" composed of his time and climate and place, and nation-language which by now is not the Caribbean but Bush II America. I would honor him with a Pulitizer Prize if I could,this lyric machine still writing at 80, still the same imagistic wit and focus. The Hawaii poems are pretty interestingk even when they are remote, sarcastic, and tourist-sardonic like some haole moon peaking out over Kaimana Beach. But yes I agree that "Particularly now, when experimental schools such as the Language group command critical attention, his poetry can seem old-fashioned. It might best be considered as a model of academic poetry today" as Ivan Arguelles put it in 1988 for the Univ. of California at Berkeley Library. Yes, it is godawfully "old fashioned," and brilliant and animating by turns, twisted like Thomas Hardy and Noel Coward in one: Maybe, "By 50, he understood the Way of Heaven" as Confucius said long ago and far away. Praise him...he keeps writing in his own way & time.

Louis Simpson's poems are a gift to the reader and a guide to help one focus on each moment with great clarity and insight. In an earlier collection of poems he writes:

"In recent years I have written about occurrences, sometimes very ordinary ones, in which there is a meaning hidden beneath the surface. Bringing out such meanings, it seems to me, is a road poetry can take in a world that, as it grows more industrial, seems less beautiful in the old sense. The more banal and 'anti-poetic' the material, the more there is for the poet to do. For this work a sense of humor is as necessary as an awareness of the drama, terror and beauty of life."

We so often live "unpoetic" lives, but Simpson helps us find the poetry that is there, if we have eyes to see it.

Here is the last stanza of "The Foggy Lane"

Walking in the foggy lane
I try to keep my attention fixed
on the uneven, muddy surface . . .
the pools made by the rain,
and wheel ruts, and wet leaves,
and the rustling of small animals

I am a huge fan of Ralph Gibson and have always thought his work should be accompanied by poetry, so I was delighted to bits when I stumbled upon this book! Blagg's words delicately and playfully compliment Gibson's images, making this book a sensual visual and literary experience

....with each poem a great single. Spin it

I love the way Pink Instrument zooms like the Space Shuttle orbiting New York, very Un-John Glenn-like. It's funny and beautiful. Ralph Gibson's interspersed, nicely reproduced photographs are touchingly elegant.

Max Blagg is the relaxed Jack Kerouac. His meditations on the pleasures of the mind and body (and wine) are relentlessly and energetically entertaining.

A tour-de-force from a New York writer who brings all the rough-hewn sensibilities of his Yorkshire birthplace to bear on the wonders of metropolitan life and the people who live there. Truly S&M (Sensitive and Mean). Full of lines, and couplets, and triplets that you want to commit to memory for use as little mantras when encountering the slings and arrows flesh is heir to.

This is a excellent selection of poems by the great Russian poet Anna Akhmatova. The translations are by the noted Russian scholar Max Hayward and the noted American poet Stanley Kunitz. As a non-Russian speaker, I can't really judge the quality of translations but the end product is terrific. There are a number of wondeful short lyrics. The peak of this selection is a powerful version of the great Requiem, Akhmatova's memorial for the victims of Stalin's purges. A truly great poem.

I grew up in Russia reading Akhmatova, Esenin and other great poets of the "Silver Period". To this day, Akhmatova is the poet I turn to when nostalgia hits. So when I wanted to introduce Russian poetry to my English-speaking husband, I bought this volume.
I am giving this book only four stars because of the somewhat limited selection of the poems: some of her greatest (and best known in Russia) are missing. Kunitz really shines in being able to relay the mood and (surprisingly) the rythm of Akhmatova, even if the actual translatoin is not quite accurate. Overall, this is a great introduction to the poems of a truly talented poet. However, you will soon find yourself shopping for the complete works.

This is a marvelous book. It is extremely difficult to accurately capture the flavor of the original writing in translation, but Kunitz has done this and more - the English itself is poetry. The book is dual language, so readers of Russian can read the original next to the English. Both are excellent.

The selection is fairly representative of Akhmatova's life work, with early poems from 1909, through her affair with the poet Blok in the teens, the Terror and War, to her deathbed in 1961. I particularly enjoyed the translation of the epic "Requiem". Without a doubt, this is the best English version I have ever read. My only complaint is its berevity - at 40 poems, it merely whets the readers appetite for more - a pity, given the outstanding nature of both poet and translator.

For those who are not familiar with Anna Akhmatova, this is a gem. If you have read some of her work, this is a must-have volume. Enjoy!

This is the volume that introduced me to the works of Anna Akhmatova. After having read this in one evening, I could not sleep - I was so moved by her poetry. The translation must have captured her heart and soul because it certainly captured mine - it inspired me to get up in the middle of the night and draw pictures to go with what I had read. I understood at once the love the Russian people have for her. Since then, I have gobbled up everything translated into English that I can find, but I still think this little volume is the best of all and return to it again and again. Enjoy......

I'm not a great poetry lover, but the simplicity and meaning of her poems is even enough to turn me on to poetry!!!! Her words reach my life experiences and touch my soul.

I first bought this book in the mid sixties when I was fourteen. It entranced me. Hopkins could gather words on a page that invoked exactly what he was seeing. His crafted poems communicate a vision of nature and life itself. As a prized book, it accompanied me everywhere, but was finally lost on my world travels. Since then I have bought (and passed to others) several more copies.

This volume also contains a selection of Hopkins' prose, which logs the poet's personal development, his struggles and triumphs, his keen observation, and his warmth and humour.

What Hopkins communicates is a healthy, soul-enhacing vision of life--in contrast to his older contemporary, Nietzsche, who instead left to us posturing declamations, which have nourished fascists and other self-assertors from then till now.

So, for a contrasting and good direction in life, one which is deeply humane, I recommend this book--with its intense revelation of the freshness deep down in things.

There's something to be said for a Poet published entirely posthumously who was still ahead of his time at the time of publication. Hopkins sailed with Modern winds in Victorian seas, all the while remaining decidedly Christian and exquisitely formal. A hero for those of us who still believe that Christianity offers the only real reason to respond to experience with words. Only in a world spoken into existence could such a thing as poetry (verbal creation) unite so many for so long. Hopkins interacts with the fibers of creation and uses the English language for what it was intended, even adapts it to further fulfill his calling. The glory of God flames out from every hyphen in every kenning in every Curtal-Sonnet on every page of this book.

Hopkins, a Welsh monk, was nearly lost to the public when he renounced his own work, burned a large portion of his creations and sunk into relative obscurity around the turn of the century. Oh, what a tragedy would that have been! Thanks to T.S. Eliot and other astute cultural advocates, this pioneer in the realm of confluence of sound and meaning has received more of the respect he deserves.

Hopkins' style is unique--a combination of Anglo-Saxon alliterative stress patterns, and a truly modern consciousness of spirituality and doubt. Although he draws heavily on Mediaeval techniques of versification, the poet's language escapes the flatline of the archaic through an energetic dynamism. The result is what he terms "sprung rhythm", wherein phonemes reach a level of excitement through rhythmic juxtaposition of stressed and unstressed syllables in an at times choppy, at times smooth pattern.

What I believe "Wreck of the Deutchland" is a masterpiece of Hopkins' language. This poem, like much of his work, is extraordinarily well suited to reading out loud. The ebb and flow of the paced alternation of syllabic and intoned stress gives the reader an intuitive feel for the thematic material of the poem. When the boat is tossed by rough waters, so tosses the reader's voice. When the narrator trembles with fear or faith, so trembles the reader's tongue. However, the sonic force of "Wreck of the Deutchland" is only one aspect of this multi-layered tapestry. The language of sound is a kind of precondition or foreshadowing of the meaning contained in the semantic and symbolic language of the text.

The thing perhaps that I love most about Hopkins is that he seems to incorporate all facets of expression in his work, but certainly not in a pedantic fashion. He is a metaphysical poet in the most honest and unassuming manner. The different textual layers arise and intermingle organically in the medium of the very accessibly, very human voice of a humble poet.

Reading the early poems one immediately understands how great and conscious an effort Hopkins made to transform himself into a distinctive poetic voice.
Hopkins did not write a great deal( Compare his spare output to the reams of Wordsworth) but he wrote a number of poems which are, in my judgment, among the greatest in the language. He did this by creating a distinctive diction, and rhythm of his own.
The sprung rhythm which he employed had its origin in his reading of Anglo- Saxon poetry, with its emphasis on scanning the strong stresses alone. The alliterative quality of his verse also has its origin in early Anglo- Saxon poetry.
But Hopkins infuses his work with an intensity of meaning, a richness so rare no ripeness could be greater.
Among the truly great poems in this collection my favorites are"," Thou Art Indeed Just Lord", " God's Grandeur" " and Felix Randal."
This is great great poetry, and among the greatest written about human suffering.
Emily Dickinson would have felt a chill down her spine at reading it. And for Kafka it would have most certainly broken up the icy- sea within.

I am a great fan of Hopkins. His work touches not merely the intellect, but the soul with its depth of insight and tenderness. There is a richness to his work that many of the poets who were his contemporaries lacked. There is faith, hope, love, and a respect for the universe and its Creator. Another beautiful Penguin Classic collection. Every library personal and public should have a copy.

some translations could be better, but a lovely anthology of a beautiful poet. Try "hebrew verse" by carmi for english/hebrew of other hebrew poetry.

Amichai was one of the major voices of the 20th century. He's not sufficiently well-known, perhaps because he wrote in Hebrew. The world needs to discover this humane, wise man.
This is a parallel text with the translations done by some very well-known poets, including Ted Hughes. Amichai translates well into English. His language is matter-of-fact and conversational -- his metaphors are always arresting.
Jerusalem was Amicha's city and provided his greatest inspiration. he described the problems of living in such a city better than anyone else.
He writes:
"Jerusalem is built on the vaulted foundations
of a held-back scream. If there were no reason
for the scream, the foundations would crumble, the city would collapse;
if the scream were screamed, Jerusalem would explode into the heavens."
And also:
"Jerusalem is a port city on the shores of eternity.
The Temple Mount is a huge ship, a magnificent
luxury liner. From the portholes of her Western Wall
cheerful saints look out...'
And also:
"Jerusalem's a place where everyone remembers
he's forgotten something
but doesn't remember what it is."

Amichai is the most popular Hebrew poet since Bialik. Israelis love to read him because he writes with clarity , depth, beauty and irony of love and war, and of the realities they know in their everyday life. A walker in the city, a shopper in its markets, a teacher for many years there was something down- to- earth and reassuring about Amichai. In his poetry he uses the religious tradition he knows , making often a kind of ironic secular poetry that plays upon the great literature of the past. His great strengths are many including a deep connection with people he is close to, his parents, his comrades-in- arms, his family, his loves. Amichai is a poet who gives the reader the sense of sharing one's common humanity with. He can take experiences which might seem ordinary and commonplace, and transform them into memorable lines.
What a wonderful poet he is.
Reading this collection will give insight and pleasure.

Yehuda Amichai's poetry is so close to the marrow of grief andlove and hope and longing that when you put down this book, you willhave loved and lost and wept with him. The rooms he has inhabited will be your rooms. And maybe, just maybe, is she isn't already, the city Yerushalayim will be your city as well. Buy this book...

Yehuda Amichai is the kind of poet whose words and images you remember at the oddest times. He sticks to your mind - maybe because the quiet force with which he speaks of shadow and light, places and times, seasons and colors, longing and joy. Ever-present in his work are the themes of love, loss, and the harsh reality of war, but the effect is never one of violence - Amichai's poems have always made me feel peaceful and strangely contented. He is a poet for empathizing with. After reading him I feel as if I had taken a long walk on a sunny afternoon in the quiet neighborhood that I love. Excuse me for the ranting, but I can find no better way to express it. His Jerusalem emerges both as a real - and beautiful - city, and as an enchanted place where (like in the old fairytales) nothing is casual or common. He writes in the way I myself would like to write.

A wonderful gem. It is a reproduction of the original that, I suppose you can't find anywhere. But the poems are beautiful though there is a meloncholly that pervades them...they are about passion, not romance. Think passion as suffering for something beautiful.

The beautiful writing is breathtaking at times, but not being able to properly catagorize these kinds of poems has led to their obscurity.

I think they may be in the public domain with Project Guttenberg, I don't know. But the book is about less than $20 so the price is negligable. Besides, you'll want to read these to others, and a book is quite portable.

The only thing wrong with this book is the presentation. The original pages can be seen copied. But that is a small price to pay for the words and the mood they conjure.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox is a master poetress in this moving, deeply touching book of poetry. With each line the reader will identify with the emotions and move to higher levels of awareness.

This book is one of the best I have read. For a woman to write these words over 100 years ago and still have the same meaning today is amazing. It shows that some things never really change.

All lovers of poetry and Ella Wheeler Wilcox in particular will be inspired and warmed by this beautiful collection of poems that are simply timeless.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox's writings are timeless in their content and in their beauty. Her poems and prose are as relevant today as they were in her time. Extraordinary!

This story relates the unhappy life of Kim Sakkat, "Kim who wears a bamboo hat".This talented poet composed a poem which dishonored his grandfather who allegedly aided rebels fighting the Choson dynasty.This lack of filial piety cost him his peace of mind. He took to a life of wandering about Korea. At one point, however, he learns that his grandfather was perceived as a hero by the local peasantry. This helps to mend the broken spirit which cursed him most of his life.The tale is interesting in that it mirrors Yi moon-yol's own life- his father defected to the North. The tension of divided loyalites is portrayed through a graceful, balanced writing style

Poet is a very exciting and interesting book. Among all the books that I've read, this would be the number one book that I would recommend to everyone.

I chanced to find this book at London when I was traveling there, and was very happy to find it on the shelve though it was placed too deep to find it out. Anyway, it really reminded me the discrepancy between what we believe right and what really happened several centuries ago. We are still believing that any forms of discrimination no matter what color we are, wher we live, how much we earn. But discrimination was there where the story goes. This book does not only mirror the emotional flows of Kim Sat-kat, but tries to argue about the twisted social structure. And this attempt beautifully melted into the poem, Korean traditional 4 line poem which Kim wrote.

this story is about family, art and history. the poet's self-exiled journey is still too realistic for many koreans even today. the ideology that an individual cannot be freed from, distorts individual life into empty cynicism and self-hatred, especially in the circle of "artists." the traditional connection of writers with intellectuals, and intellectuals with conscience, is in the root of (in)famous debates between "pure literature" and "engagement." the writer suffers in the middle, but still he has to deal with his family history first. anyway, it turns out to be not so different from the collective history, in terms that it situates the weak and (maybe therefore) suffering conscience of today. and lastly, the poet was nothing but the prisoner of his poems (language).

Poetry is the highest level of language subtlety and complexity. It takes work to comprehend and understand. Korean poetry in translation is next to impossible to access, grasp, or appreciate, especially for readers steeped in Western traditions. Fortunately, this novel is not so much about poetry, even though some very nice explanations abound; it is about the poet. When a tradition mandates that the political miscalculations of a person must be visited upon the `third and fourth generation' by society, most Westerners are unable to grasp the gravity and finality of such social behavior. Their ideology of individualism cannot comprehend such group power. Yi Mun-yol, and his translator, Chong-Wha Chung, bridge some of these cultural divides by simply looking at the poetry we call life. Thus, we are all poets, and when the suffering poet, Kim, of this novel wanders into the countryside, we walk with him. Life can be cold and cruel, full of inner turmoil and pain. Our lives may be different, but many of the elements of life's poetry are universal. We live in times that are harried and hurried. If there is a need to pause and reflect, contemplate and feed the soul, walking with Yi Mun-yol's THE POET may provide some food for thought.

"Word of Mouth" [he say, she say] the poem rings true as does the entire collection. Terry A. O'Neal is a wordsmith. "Loose Change," "A Bottle's Blues," and "Behind Romance," are some of my favorites and posess words that take you poetically and hold you hostage, leaving you finally understanding what drives some people to write poetry. Her poems are crisp, clear and are varied in that they range from love to a prayer for the people. The Poet Speaks in Black is a collection that you'll be glad that you purchased and will encourage your friends to own for years to come.

Poet and author Terry A. O'Neal, truly finds her voice in a moving collection of free verse prose called "The Poet Speaks In Black" that encompasses and reflects who she is. Her poems stand outside the circle of standardized thinking and common views and soars with her spirit. However, these poems are not confined to just her own African American culture--although she proudly walks and displays that emotional aspect in her words and themes--but she takes on a universal oneness quality that most all men and women can identify with. I personally felt the oneness she conveys with her poetry.

Her words translate feelings and emotions and conjure up inner visions of life around her. She transcends the ordinary at times and wanders across the pages with her simple words strung together that make emotional connections with the reader. Her over-all work in this collection is pure gold. I think the only way this book could be appreciated more would be to hear her give a live performance reading her poems in a gentle voice that I am sure would radiant with the fullness of her heart.

O'Neal even has a couple of moving poems that reflect the happenings of 9/11. The book over-all feeling is one of compassionate acceptance with who you are. She writes a wonderful poem to that effect in her strongest poem of the book titled "Birthmark". She conveys full appreciation and comfort at being who she is--"from toasted skin to chocolate dark." and even with her place in life. These were obviously written by a very secure and confident woman. There is lots of that feminine energy flowing but not enough to scare away male readers. It is not pushed as any kind of agenda--she just is what she is and it comes across as satisfied and honest.

I strongly recommend this wonderful book of poetry. It comes in a simple hardback book with a black front cover with an image of an empty stage with a microphone. On the back cover there is an elegant portrait of the poet herself.

First Published in the Elk Grove Citizen Newspaper

I received this book in mail just before a Thanksgiving road trip to Dallas! Thank God it arrived on time. I could not put the book down. As a poet, I found myself totally "into" Terry O'Neal's delightful way with words. Sometimes I thought I was reading a poem I'd like to write myself. Other times I tricked my husband with her words along the road as I read him a poem or two from the book.

We often think of poetry as a fast read or a complicated read. You will want to read this book again and again as you find that you have favorites throughout the book. My personal favorites were "Choices," "Guide Me" and "Word of Mouth" to name a few. Terry O'Neal not only speaks to you, but she teaches you a thing or two about life with her words and experiences. That's what poetry is all about.

It's a beautiful book inside and out: well written, well designed, well spoken and well worth the purchase! Congratulations to this sister poet for such stylistic, heart-grabbing poetry. Her words on life, history, family, relationships and self will have you believing she wrote the book just for you! I can't wait to read another selection by this author. Not only does this poet speak in "black," but she also speaks with a language that your soul can understand. Great book of poems, a must have if you call yourself a poet and/or poetry reader!

Latorial Faison
www.latorial.com

The Poet Speaks In Black is a rich volume of rhythmic, free-verse poetry by Terry O'Neal, an emotional, talented, and compelling female writer. Encouraging dreams, pondering life, and stretching past the horizons of the mind, The Poet Speaks In Black is highly enjoyable reading whether aloud at a microphone or at quietly at home. Free At Last: As I lay on the ground/with a bullet in my chest,/faintly,/I hear the cries/of my family and friends/as they hover over me,/watching,/while I fight for my last breath,/frightened,/till that moment/I look up and see/the chariot/coming to carry me home.

THE POET SPEAKS IN BLACK is a melancholy collection of poetry by Terry a.
O'Neal that covers a gamut of life experiences. The poems will evoke emotion
and paint vivid pictures of the pain and hurt that many people experience.
The mood of the collection is somber, but laced with hope. Pieces like 'Jump
The Fence' speak to the resilience of the human spirit. In this poem, O'Neal
talks about escaping and her words are so vibrant, you are running with her and
planning your own escape.

O'Neal uses her words like a painter uses color in his work. She creates a
world between each syllable and punctuation mark. The poems will leave you
sighing and pondering. She ends the collection with a thoughtful tribute to
September 11. After delving the reader into the abyss of sadness that
surrounds that day, she dips the tip of her brush into yellow paint and leaves
us with 'Lessons Learned,' reminding us that there is always hope in the midst
of darkness.

Reviewed by Diane Marbury (HonestD)
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Tennyson is a master of music, and allegedly among the most technically skilled of the distinguished English poets.There is I believe a considerable difference between the reputation he had in his own Victorian Times and the lesser reputation he has today.
For myself the great Tennyson poem is 'Ulysses'. Its inspiring message of setting out again to explore in old age is the predecessor of Eliot's" Old Men should be explorers". I will confess that longer poems like 'Enoch Arden' are not really in my mind and heart.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson-GENIUS, "mediator for God," Poet Laureate, Tennyson was and is the greatest and most beautiful voice to ever bloom from not just 19th century English Literature, but from English Literature as a whole. Simply put, he cleaned up Shakespeare's mess which had been almost cleaned fully by such great voices as Coleridge, Wordsworth, and Dickens.

ALL HUMAN EYES WILL MARVEL AT THE BEAUTY OF THE WORDS OF TENNYSON!!!!!

Of Tennyson's poems, In Memoriam A. H. H. and Maud stand out as personal favourites. In these poems he evokes a gentle blend of melancholy, connectedness with the land and countryside, and a tangible sense of the eternity of life and nature and ones personal destiny within these. His poems are mesmerizing, his rhythmic language and masterful blending of words draws a reader in, and has a hypnotic effect. He isn't trite, clumsy, or contrived. His subjects share the spirit of the Pre-Raphaelite painter's subjects, they are often brooding, forlorn, existing an empty, melancholic, roaming life in a garden of Eden. To the reader, his subjects are real, full and beautiful and are at once human and metaphysical.

I am a mariner, in fact a rather old one. The Tennyson poem, Crossing the Bar, as I remember it as a young man and as I read it today as an old man, has taken on new meaning and touched the center of my sensibilities.

The man that created poetry as an art, and held Europe at a stand still for nearly thirty five years as he held the title of Laurette, now finally his works become very obvious in his complete works, but nothing is more present of the fact then his poem "Odysses", a story about his life, through a myth, fable so to speak.
I grasp that to many times, becomes it feasts, yells, and then knows not me, exceptional is his play on words, and the game I so often play to control them.

A lot of the poems in this book are a bit too weird for my tastes, but I'm giving it five stars anyway. Why, you ask? It's because I literally peed my pants laughing over the poems I found very funny. Buy this book for the poems Small Favours and The Fart as these poems alone are worth the price of the book and anything after that that tickles your funny bone is just demented gravy.

Poetry for the Insane: The Full Mental is like nothing I've ever read before. It's a unique experience. As soon as I saw the cover of this book showing a cracked egg with a bum crack, I knew this was going to be one weird and wonderful book, and I was right. Some of the funnier poems had me in tears as I was laughing so hard. Other poems made me think or look at life in a different way. It's a great book.

Poetry for the Insane: The Full Mental makes fun of mental illness, it's politically incorrect and it's really disturbing when you read it and repeatedly laugh out loud, as I did, in spite of my best efforts to keep a straight face. It's rare that any book of humor makes me do much more than smile, but this one had me laughing so hard it hurt. This is really bent, twisted, off-beat poetry with some really crazy and funny ways of looking at things. I didn't want to like this book, but I love it. Check it out - it's like nothing else you'll ever read.

I still laugh out loud whenever I think of The Favour or The Fart or any of the other hilarious poems in Poetry For The Insane: The Full Mental by Michael B. Davie. This unique book with its offbeat sense of humour is truly one of a kind and well worth a read even if some of these funny poems aren't your cup of tea.

Another book I'd recommend is I feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron and I'd love to see both books paired at a good rate by amazon so my friends will have no more excuses for not buying them both. I really enjoyed I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman for its insightful and humorous approach. I recently read both these terrific books in tandem and agree they make a great pair. I have no hesitation in recommending both great books.

Poetry for the Insane: The Full Mental is truly one of a kind. I especially enjoyed the wickedly funny poems Dirty Cleaning Woman, Small Favours, The Fart and King for a Day.
A very odd but very funny book. More people should discover this book of twisted humor. Some reviewers have suggested amazon should pair Poetry For The Insane: The Full Mental with Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck. I think that's a wonderful idea. Both books deserve all the attention they can get.