Poetry Books

Readers Comments about Trilogy Moments

Errol, Maryland, USA. Great poetry book! The scene on the cover is reminiscent of the Caribbean and the water reminds me of Daytona Beach in Florida. The poems are original and brilliant. They touch on reality and address things one may consider factual based on life experiences.
JonJon, Milwaukee, USA: The Epulaeryu poems are just awesome, and they appeal to the sense of sight and taste. I would love to have a delicious dish of Epulaeryu right now!
Dr Onyemena in Wisconsin, USA: This is a profound book for reflection. It's very inspirational, philosophical, and reflects life experiences. This is a must read for the family in search of the meaning of life. The poems are vibrant and bring about a sense of family belongingness in the words. This is a wonderful book of poetry to read for meditation and relaxing the mind.
Ingrid, New York, USA: Yes, another winner for the Spence family: the second poetry book is full of life and imagery. Trilogy Moments also introduces a new form of poetry -- Epulaeryu -- where foods are described in a precise and concise way. Once again many literary devices are used, and the organization of the book is superb. Trilogy Moments is a good read during a quiet evening, or in a vibrant classroom. Keep it up Trilogy Team!
James Scott, Midwest, USA: This book of poetry inspired me to think, reflect, and appreciate the power of words. The authors give a masterful and colorful incite into everyday things that we experience. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. It will brighten your day.
Bessie Jones, Wauwatosa, USA: Trilogy Moments is innovative and inspirational. It is undoubtedly one of life's most joyful experiences for all ages.
Dr. Warren McIver, Milwaukee, USA: This is an excellent book of poetry. I love the prose and the flow of the words. The imagery created by the book is wonderful and captivating. The Epulaeryu form created by Joseph Spence is awesome. I love the tasty delicacies and dishes presented in each poem. The poems are very realistic and make the reader think about life in deep meditation. They cover everyday experiences including how to deal with turmoil and how to celebrate success. Each poem is very inspirational and encouraging. I highly recommend this book for your reading pleasure.

This is an outstanding book of poetry by the Spence family. I like the inspirational tone of the poems and the uplifting message each one sends. The imagery is so beautiful throughout the book, especially in the section addressing "Prayers for Life Events" and "Daily Inspirational Thoughts," just to name a few. The poems cover family, love, relationships, reflections on their travels, and much more; they also open ones mind to new possibilities. The "Epulaeryu" poetic form invention by Joseph Spence is marvelous and flows with such grace. It's about succulent food and will tease your creative cooking style. Don't forget the "Epulaeryu" section at section at the end of the book. Joseph is a Poet Laureate and National Poet Judge Advocate from the Poetry Corner, and he has diligently worked with his wife, Sheila, and son, Jonathan, in obtaining such great distinctions, which they have earned also. This is an outstanding book of poetry for all to read by an outstanding family of laureate authors and poets. Another great book of poetry to read is, "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul."

Although the Spence family have devoted only one section in this book to "Family, Love and Relationships", every section reflects what family life and love should be all about. With each family member contributing their well-written poetry, readers can see the respect and love that each one holds for the other. As you read this book, you will actually feel the stress and tension melt away as their beautiful words bring a feeling of peaceful enjoyment. This book encompasses a few different forms of poetry including the Epulaeryu, Nonet, Pleiades and Trois-par-Huit among others. If you are not familiar with these forms, no problem! There is a section of definitions provided so that you may get the full benefit of what the poems have to offer. From Joseph's "Autumn Rain" to Sheila's "Jamaica Shining" and with Jonathan's "A Father's Heart" between them, Trilogy Moments for the Mind Body and Soul will lift your spirits like no other!

Christina R Jussaume
This collection of poetry was outstanding! It was written from a family of poets. It took us to many countries and was very enjoyable to read. As a poet myself, you all did well with each form that was written. The poems inspirational value brought peace as I read them and your own created form, the Eupulaeryu poetry was splendid. I felt as if I was enjoying all those exotic meals you so creatively wrote of. Blessings with your poetic endeavors. Author of "My Walk with Jesus" published by PublishAmerica also. Christina R Jussaume

"Trilogy Moments" is a poetry book for the mind, body and soul, beautifully crafted by the husband, wife and son trio of Joseph, Sheila and Johnathan Spence. This book embraces many different poetic forms such as haiku, quatrain, nonet, senryu, acrostic and introduces a new form created by Joseph Spence called, "epulaeryu", which is a poem about delicious foods. There is a section in the back of the book defining each poetic form, making this a perfect reference guide for new poets.

"Trilogy Moments" is broken into nine sections covering such topics as, "The Seasons of Beauty", "Daily Inspirational Thoughts", and "Family, Love and Relationships" to name a few. My favorite section is entitled, "Prayers for Life Events", which makes me see "Trilogy Moments" as not only a book of enjoyable poetry, but also as a book to pick up when in need of a little pick-me-up.

The Spence's are a very blessed and talented family, and I thank them for sharing their blessings through this wonderful book.

I'll be the first to admit I don't like poetry. Never had; that is until I read Dave's book. It's an easy read that can turn almost anyone who doesn't like poetry into a reader, at least of his (hahahaha). You can tell from his poems that he isn't here to show off fancy verse work and snazzy technique and all that nonsense. It's straight from the soul. It's honest. And that's all I ask for in any artist. Can't wait for his second book. May I suggest a title, perhaps "The Truth and Nothing But the Truth 2?" Okay, that was bad. I'm sure he'll come up with something much better. Buy two! Support a movement, damn it.

This book is truly unbelivable. The poetry is straight from the heart and any one who reads this book will see the authenticity of each poem. With poems like "Mind Stimulation" that speaks about the realities of like to poems "When I Look Into Your Eyes" which is about chasing after a girl, David Mclean gives you a range of poems that are emotional and can be deeply felt by everyone. Thank you David Mclean for such a well written book of poetry.

David is an amazing writer and an even more amazing performer!! Hes an excellent poet and knows what he's doing. He took his personal stories, wrote it down and wrote a top seller =) Even if your not into poetry you'll love this book! I know I dont really read poetry but I swear I could not put this book down!! Its amazing and inspiring and its definatly worth the money to go out and buy this book!!

The Truth And Nothing But The Truth by David Mclean is truly unbelievable. This is a book that gives people a variety of different poems. For example in the book you have the poem "Mind Stimulation" which deal with what is going on in life today to a poem like "When I Look Into Your Eyes" which talks about a man chasing after a girl. This book is truly a book of art. With well written Poetry this is sure to be a success. Thank you David Mclean for a well written book of Poetry.

The book is ASTONISHING! I was never into poetry, but I love this book and glad I bought it. I feel related to a lot of poems in there (especially Talk About), and so would you. The book is well written, and straightforward. David talks about things that are real in life. I would recommend it to any one of any age to buy it then feel it for themselves. I'm glad to see people like him writing these kinds of poems that surely will inspire a lot of young to read more, and write. Now that's the truth!

I like this book very much. A wide variety of poems that are well written and left me very pleased with this purchase. The simpleness and smoothe delivery of his pen is awesome. A few left me pondering, but still very good. However, I didn't care for the different fonts throughout the book. The size of the fonts were larger than normal too. The art was great.
10 STARS!

My friend had picked up the book here, and he let me read it, so I thought an appraisal of it would be appropriate. I'm usually a tough nut to crack when it comes to enjoying others poetry, but after reading his poems, I am convinced he can write really well. This is a new poet that expresses himself and the things around him with vividness.
Actually, he states that he's been writing for 20 years, so he's not really "new." I suppose that I should pick one up for myself, this is a book I could easily read over and over again.

The author is well versed in a diverse mixture of poems. His writing is eloquent, moving, and powerful. If you like Walt Whitman or Robert Frost, just to name a couple, then you will like this book. The art, draw my his brother, is quite good too.
I'm really a huge fan of romance, and his poems in that chapter of his book are stunning. I especially like "Tell me, The Romantic Poet, Upon my word, Regaining a lost love, I love you, Joyful delight, and Something great about you."
The tragedy chapter was also superb. His poems, "He remembers, The sound in my head, Broken Promises, I'm tired, Implore yourself, and Reflections," are great poems.
I might as well tell you about the essence chapter. "The living trees, Responsible drinking, The way of trust, My smile, The friendship, and Do the right thing," are my favorites in that chapter.
There was a few poems that I didn't care for, but there are so many good poems in this book; it eludes me that a person's first book can be so good. I wonder if he has a pen name that he was published under...
I can't wait to share it with my girlfriend.

What a great book this is. I purchased it because he's a member of the armed forces.
His poems are very expressive and pleasurable to read. One of my favorite books in my possession now, and I would recommend it if I were asked.

You would have to be illiterate to not understand the poems contained in this book.

This guy is good with words and seems very well educated.

A very intriguing book that I enjoyed from start to finish. The substance and the flow of his work has been written in outstanding fashion. The poems are very entertaining- suspenseful, humorous, tragic, romantic, sentimental and educational.

This poetry book is by far the most entertaining book of poetry that I have read in quite some time. There is a magic in this persons voice that projects power and it pleads to be heard, and I just could not stop reading. This is one book that I can actually read more than once! I think he has actually invented some new forms too.

If there is a book of poetry that someone were to acquire today or tomorrow, I would recommend this one wholeheartedly. It doesn't matter who you are, or what you do, I think anyone would love this book.

I should also state that the reason I purchased the book was because of what the cover looked like, very nice work that you don't see in a poetry book.

I am a first grade teacher and a mother of five. I went to a literature conference this weekend and was lucky enough to meet this author and listen to him read this book. This author is so funny and full of life and it shows in his work. He also wrote an adorable book called Santa's First Flight - I bought it as well!

The first thing that drew my eye to this book is the sheer gothic scrapbook style of its illustrations--and this goes a long way in being part of the charm of a seemingly bitter story that packs a lot of heart.

This tells the story of Lily, a girl who seemed nice and pretty enough on the outside--yet refused to love. Yes, this is one of those girls who abhor the very thought of Valentine's Day and romance and anything at all happy.

However, I would never deem calling this a gothic or emo book in the least. It is, in its own way, exceedingly cute. Through the dark tones, writing, and illustations, Sam Beeson tells a story about the truth of pure love, free of all that romantic crap.

It's a quick read and would probably make an excellent gift book for all of those darker and more passionate people in our lives.

I was quite surprised with this delightful book. I hadn't expected to enjoy it so much and found it to be great gift book with a sweet message for all of the Valentine-haters and lovers alike. Buy it! Perfect to give to others!

This book is magic. I gave it to my valentine, and she loves it. It just doesn't get better than that. If you are looking for a light-hearted gift for Singles Awareness Day, this is it. We love the lyrical story and the paintings are unspeakably good. A magnificent way to tell a girl you love her without going overboard. Go for it man. You know you want to.

This book is a short little poem of sorts. Lily doesn't believe in love. And she certainly doesn't believe in Valentine's Day and the cutesy cards and mush that goes along with it. She writes in her journal about how she feels:

"Exactly midway through the frigid month of February
A day is celebrated by the dull and ordinary.
And all around me notes are passed by idiots and stupids --
Packed with sugar-mottoed hearts and naked, pudgy cupids.
This ritual, conducted under heart-shaped, crimson flag,
Does absolutely nothing for me, but to make me gag!"

I have to tell you, this little book is a treasure! My inner-goth girl fell in love with this poem!! The paintings are gorgeous and although the poem is rather simple in prose, the meaning certainly hits home!!

The best surprise of all comes at the end of the book. Included are 6 un-valentine cards that YOU can send out. Purely genius!!

I realize this isn't much of a review. There's not a lot that I can say without ruining it for you. But if you secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) hate Valentine's Day, have a little goth in you, or just want to look at the beautful pictures, then you must buy this book!! That's the best recommendation I can give!! Next to a bouquet of black roses, this is the best Valentine I could imagine!!

I took (by choice) four years of Latin in high school and have continued to play intermittently with the language since then. Of all the various texts and readers that I've seen over the years, Pharr's edition of "The Aeneid" is by far the best. Why? Because its structure removes much of the tedious burden of looking up vocabulary in the dictionary and allows the reader to focus on the way the language is used and to appreciate the literary aspects of the Virgil's work. Having the vocabulary for each page on the bottom of that page along with the standard grammatical notes was a stroke of genius. This page vocabulary is suppplemented by a bare-bones pull-out sheet of common words and a full grammar as an appendix, so everything the student-reader needs is right there and readily accessible.

My sole complaint is that this volume includes only Books 1-6. Even though Books 7-12 are generally considered less interesting than 1-6, they deserve a similar treatment as well. Barbara Boyd's Pharr-like treatment of selected scenes from 7-12 is just not enough for die-hard Virgil addicts.

I've seen relatively little comparable to Pharr for other Latin classics, but I'd love to find editions like this for Ovid, Livy, Cicero, or Horace. Pharr's approach is the most sensible I've found for instilling a sense of love for the Latin language in its students. If my high school teacher hadn't used Pharr's edition of Virgil all those years ago, I suspect my love for the Latin language would be a distant memory by now. Thanks to Pharr, Latin may have killed off all the Romans, but it didn't succeed in killing me.

Just this year, we began using this textbook in our Latin class. I have found that it has made an immense difference in the class's ability to translate and understand the rhetorical devices used. They no longer struggle with the vocabulary: it is presented on the same page as the text! The notes that accompany each page are extensive and very enlightening. I VERY rarely disagree with them (with our previous textbook, I didn't agree with many of the choices they made). The grammatical appendix is outstanding. One caution for teachers using this as a classroom textbook: your students may begin to use the vocabulary lists as a crutch, never actually learning the words. Otherwise, I would very strongly recommend this book for anyone who desires to read this masterpiece in its original form, for a class or otherwise. To Clyde Pharr, I say "Optime!"

I used this book nearly 20 years ago in a class devoted to studying and translating the Aeneid; looking at the copyright page, I can see that the first copyright on the book was back in 1930. Clyde Pharr produced a far-reaching book, for it to remain in effective, useful life for such a long term. Reprinted now by the Bolchazy-Carducci Press (the press responsible for such fun books as 'Cat in the Hat' and 'Green Eggs and Ham' in Latin), it remains one of the better books for students, classroom and independent study types, to use to learn Latin and study the Aeneid.

Each page consists of anywhere from five to twenty lines of text from Vergil's Aeneid. The rest of the page is devoted to reader notes. These are in two sections -- first, a secondary vocabulary list taken from the lines above; the bottom section are generous notes, which give unique vocabulary, grammar points, special usage notes, history and more. The text is printed with most general vocabulary printed in standard font face (these are words that occur frequently), and can be found on the General Word List in the back. Other words appear in italics, and are found in the list in the middle of the page. At the end of the book, there are lists of words broken into frequency -- the General Word List contains all words occuring 24 times or more in the six books; two other lists have the words which occur 12-23 time and 6-11 times, respectively. The amount of memorisation for vocabulary versus looking up words in the notes can then be regulated by the student or teacher.

There is a grammatical appendix at the end, with 477 separate items of concern. Much of this is review from prior Latin grammars the student is supposed to have learned; a companion Latin grammar is also recommended by Pharr (there are several from which to choose). The appendix follows different pagination, and even has its own index.

The Aeneid is a fascinating text, one of the greatest epics of the ancient world; it takes up the task of the Iliad/Odyssey cycle and 'updates', if you will, the story line into the Roman era. Pharr's book helps the reader to work with it in its original language, easily and methodically, with only a minimum of Latin training (one year is probably sufficient) required for engagement.

This book is the pinnacle of Aeneid translators. I used this in AP latin during high school and have recently purchased my own copy to start it up again. The footnotes and appendices are invaluable resources in their helpfulness and explanation of Vergil's poetry and scansion for those not familiar with dactyllic hexameter. The word list in the back is very helpful as well but a latin dictionary is a must since some derivatives of words are hard to translate (not a negative for this book, just a warning). Highly recommended by everyone with whom I've spoken who know of the Aeneid.

What a wonderful introduction to Latin poetry this work is. The fold-out vocabulary sheet and on-the-page vocabulary lists (referenced by non-italicizing the text) faciliate translation for beginning Latin scholars who must plod through the 1800 lines or so for the AP exam. The notes are copious and provide a much needed introduction to general features of Latin poetry. This text should not however, be used at the college level when trying to gain greater self-sufficiency at reading Latin.

Wanda Phipp's poems are deliciously spare and delightful to read. She balances the acutal with the metaphysicaL in some acute and beautiful ways through the spaces she moves in and out of:
"a kiss not a kiss but a city operational I am with tea and mobility" #28 Like a Wallace Stevens orange on a Sunday morning, but without the formalisms, these poems glow with a garden of City delights and sometimes, doubts. But underlying the collection is a journey, and a celebration of being an artist in New York, which can be both a city of constraints (survival work) and semi-or subconscious visions and serendipities...From many angles she portrays her own musings and the City's light. Read it!

I was given this book by a friend. Since I have very strong opinions about poetry--having grown up reading Anne sexton, May Sarton, Auden, etc--I thought, "I'm not even going to look at this. Nice cover, though."
Imagine my surprise when I glanced through it, and was so caught up that i sat down, poured a glass of wine, and read all the way through. i called my mom and read her a poem. I read one to my husband. I read one to the cat. I was surprised: the poems are seemingly unassuming, but their power accumulates, and they finally offer a true and piercingly insightful look into a modern woman's real heart.
This book had become part of my life. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Wanda Phipps' 66 Morning Poems, teaches us to be more in-tune with our own morning thoughts as we read the ones she has captured here in this book. Succinct crystal clear observation is the fuel Wanda Phipps provides her reader so to feel and see for themselves. Wanda Phipps does and will continue to make the world a better place. SEE HER LIVE!

Wanda Phipps' Wake-Up Calls 66 Morning Poems is a delightful read wherever and whenever you choose to pick up this book. This series of poems makes for the catalyst to a great day. I have enjoyed reading these poems in the early morning when I wake a prepare for my day. I love taking this book on the train and reading as I head to work. I feel a sense of being centered in Wanda's choice of words and feel like she's tapped into the early morning experiences we all go through in life. After finishing, I felt like I wanted more poems. I wanted each morning to continue reading through her colorful textures. Wanda evokes an energy that wakes this readers morning peak. At this point, I will explore searching for further reading material on Wanda Phipps. I truly enjoyed reading her poems not once, but several times since I've purchased this book.

Regards,

Thomas Paul

The style is so appealing, lyrical-sensual. Wanda Phipps evokes a kind of dreamy Bohemian lifestyle one doesn't hear enough about in this high-pressure type-A world. Thanks to her for helping to bring that back.

Vendler is one of the great critics of the writing of Stevens. In this small work she focuses on shorter works, " Anecdote of the Jar" " The Emperor of Ice Cream" "Postcard from the Volcano" "The Rivers of Rivers in Connecticut" " Of Mere being " "The Dove in Spring" "Somnambulisma". She sees Stevens as tormented by thwarted desire , and gives a certain degree of detail regarding his difficult personal life, including his unhappy marriage.
She writes of his ' sexual loneliness in old age' as reflected in his poem 'The Dove of Spring' of the claims of 'sensual desire against the reasoning mind'(To an Old Philosopher in Rome)of his writing in a posthumous voice about the collected poems, (The Planet on the Table) where "he sees his life work contained in a single object, the potential book lying before him on a table'. She writes of his especially close relation to Keats, another one of the great musical poets.
Vendler's work is filled with profound and arresting insights, though often difficulty and awkwardly expressed.
This small book helped me read and understand Stevens poetry in ways I had not before.
And I suspect it will do so for other lovers of the poetry of Stevens.

This is a collection of four lectures on Wallace Stevens, concentrating on shorter poems, and mostly (though by no means entirely) late poems. She argues for Stevens as a poet of passion, particularly the passion of one who desires but cannot have the object of desire -- or desires to desire but can no longer fulfill his desire, perhaps because of age.

I found this very helpful, very readable, very acute. And definitely a prompt to read some of the intense shorter poems more closely -- I had lately been concentrating on the remarkable long poems. My appreciation for Stevens only grows with each closer reading, and Helen Vendler's work is very helpful in pointing the way to more perceptive reading.

I acquired the book principally because I was baffled by the poem "The Emperor of Ice-Cream." and hoped that Vendler might have something to say on the topic. As was to be expected, she did much more than offer a few clues. Her reading of the poem is extraordinary - spot on so far as I can tell - and a revelation. (I had thought perhaps we were in an Ice cream Emporium.) With her help, one can see Stevens as sane, human, passionate, very intelligent --- a real poet addressing fundamental, and often distressing, issues.

Vendler is clear, lucid, illuminating, and tough minded. An awfully tough combination to beat. On top of that she is concise and accessible to the educated but non-professional academic such as myself.

I was reading yesterday a review in The New Yorker about the recent books on atheism: how good it is and how true, and it struck me how little room there is in our culture's collective mind for independent question. We know all about God, both his existence and his non-existence. We're big knowers of metaphysical things. But really we know next to nothing, and mostly we are not aware enough to even realize that. But if one begins to realize, one finds oneself with very little personal or cultural company, which is why I am so grateful to Helen Vendler for this group of lectures on Stevens.

Her discussions of Emperor of Ice Cream and A Plain Sense of Things in another book were my introduction to Stevens' work, prior to that I had thought he was not worth the trouble. It turns out that he is, to use a phrase he never would have used, an incredible poet - incredible in the sense of astoundingly good, not literally incredible. But incredible because often in his work one all at once recognizes a thought, an intellectual intuition one never expected to find expressed anywhere, let alone a 20th cenury poem. Like an unexpected sequence of chords that tears you apart.

Helen Vendler has a talent for getting to the essence of poems and poets, getting to the question at the core of the words. Poetry isn't really an end in itself, no art is. It is the artifice by which we understand better that of which we are merely moments. Which is to say that great poets and those who introduce them do truly help the angels as they try to save mankind.

Getting back to gratitude, I'm glad that Stevens wrote the way he did, that he was the way he was. I'm glad he insisted on his singular path, this shy, honest, loving being.

This beautiful, well-written book even gives middle-schoolers a taste of literary criticsm. The text is adequate and sometimes even moving, working well with the decadent illustrations. My favorite thing about it is its depiction of Whitman's feelings about Lincoln, since many kids will only know Lincoln from the penny.

I am doing my Masters Project on the life of Walt Whitman during the Civil War. Though this book does not add anything new to my project, I am including it in my Bibliography because it is a book I think everyone should read. Yes, it is a children's book, but it accurately portrays the life of Whitman from the time he was a child to the time of his death. I particularly like the section about the Civil War and I know that the author has all the facts correct. What makes this book such a great reading experience is the accompanying art work on each page. The art is exceptional and adds to the reading experience. Whether you are a child or an adult with a passing interest in Whitman, this book should be on the top of your reading list.

My favorite page is the one directly after the Civil War spread. It contains the portraits of Civil War soldiers. What makes this special is that each picture is based on an actual photo of real people, and the one portrait in color is really Whitman's brother George (I am using the same picture in my Masters Project). Each painting of the portrait really captures the expression of the soldiers. My other favorite painting is the close up of Whitman's face as an old man at the end of the book. The sparkle in his eye captures the sparkle in the man's entire life.

This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend. You should look at it as an experience - it is not a complete biography of America's famous poet, but an interactive experience between the important events in his life and the paintings that convey meaning and significance. I am very happy I came across this book, and I think everyone who buys and reads this book will also be impressed.

This is the life story of the famous poet Walt Whitman. We learn about his life growing up on into adulthood. We learn that he had a real passion for America and it;'s people. This is where the inispration for his poems came from.



The book was written in picture book/ storty book form. Although it was a non-fiction book it was fun and easy to read.


We would recommed this book to others who are interested in knowing more about Walt Whitman. This would be helpful to students who might be researching his life for school projects.

The Barbara Kerly/Brian Selznick combination becomes more powerful each time it occurs. First of all, if you haven't gone out and viewed their "Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins" then you should do so immediately. Do not halt for man, angel, or beast. Just get out there, grab yourself a copy, and thank the high heavens that you did so before reaching the end of your brief span upon this globe. After having read that book (and you will be glad you did) you'll be ready to fully appreciate this author/illustrator duo's latest exploration into another fabulous human being's life. Our dear gay American poet Walt Whitman is their most recent subject and he is rendered here in full glorious life. Spotted with his poetry, his beliefs, and his incredible life, "Walt Whitman: Words For America" offers an answer to any kid who wonders why the heck they should study some old dead white guy from more than 100 years ago. A stirring answer at that.

Aside from the circular picture of Walt standing with a cocky fist on his hip, your first image in this book of the man displays him at the tender age of 12. Working carefully as a typesetter for a newspaper (comparisons to Ben Franklin seem obvious at this point), Walt began his career as a poet with a job that put him into direct messy contact with all kinds of letters and words. In addition to creating his own newspaper at 19, Walt read fantastical stories for his own amusement. You see him as a young man rushing through the streets of Manhattan fully clothed and along the beaches of Long Island buck naked (tastefully, of course). As Walt grew, his concern for fellow human beings, including the slaves of the South, did as well. He published "Leaves of Grass", traveled the country, then became involved with the war between the states. It's the Civil War that takes up most of Walt's life in this book. Whether he was tending to those wounded in battle, debating his own feelings towards President Lincoln, or collapsing from the exhaustion of working too darn hard, the book follows Whitman hither and thither. By the end Whitman truly became the poet of the people, giving the world poems that have remained deeply embedded in the human psyche, whether we know it or not.

As with their previous collaboration, Kerly and Selznick follow up their book with a long and extended section of additional facts about Mr. Whitman. They talk about how they become interested in the project, where their research took them, and how they feel about the man. They offer addition info on his life (preferring not to mention the whole homosexual aspect, I guess), Lincoln's life, and what Walt's life was like after the war. They also include eight poems, some complete and some just important snippets. It makes for a truly comprehensive picture book, I can tell you.

The book itself, however, is a visual delight. There are some truly gutsy moves being made within its pages. At one point you see only a bright blue sky containing a yellow sun and fast moving clouds containing the words, "Whoever you are now I place my hand upon you that you be my poem". At another point Selznick takes the photographs of the wounded holding slates and puts a word from a Whitman poem on each and every one. I was pleased to note that the authentic daguerreotypes that Selznick has reproduced here include black as well as white soldiers (something not every illustrator would think to include). Finally, in a truly cute move, Selznick just barely includes the two oranges and paper crane he found at Whitman's grave in the picture of the same.

As picture biographies go, this one is wordy but worth it. Kerley knows how to write an exciting tale and Whitman makes for a remarkably exciting personality. He's one of those heroes you aren't ashamed to call as such. A wonderful addition for anyone whose juvenile Whitman section seems a bit lacking.

Walt Whitman lived a life of a "rough", or an everyman, and his poetry reflected his very special common uniqueness. Going against prescribed form of the time, Whitman fashioned himself a style of poetry unto itself, brash, fresh, untamed. Such words can be used to descirbe this stunning, and I mean absolutely stunning, children's book on the life of Walt Whitman, by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Brian Selznick.

Never before have I seen a celebration of a poet's life done so wonderfully. It manages to capture the beautiful essence of the man, while explaining to children in an easy to understand manner. The life of Walt comes alive, from his childhood to the very last years of his life, and the text is peppered with awesome quotes from some of his most famous poems.

Particularly amazing his how Kerley describes Walt's selfless love of the Civl War soldiers whom he tended in Washington DC hospitals. His actions during this time show the depth of feeling he had for these poor boys, and children will respond with their innate sense of empathy towards Walt.

The text is amazing, and the pictures equal it. Selznick has illustrated Walt in all stages of his life, from child to the wizened old man we've all come to associate with him. Selznick's pictures are honest and endearing, again, those that relate to Walt's caring of the soldiers. Even using type similiar to that Walt would have used in his earlier typesetting days, the pictures support and extend the text timelessly.

It's been amazing that within the last few years, a spate of books celebrating our nation's most beloved poets are coming to fruition. It's about time. Our youth need to hear the voices of these people... Langston Hughes... Emily Dickinson... and now Walt Whitman, not only to instill a sense of pride with the country that they live, but also, within the sense of pride within themselves. This book will serve as a benchmark for these books in years to come.

Even my friends who think poetry is boring and ponderous and Buddha a smiling statue (thanks probably to some stodgy professors 20 years ago) couldn't put this book down when they spotted it on my coffee table. With a sly sense of humor and enormous knowledge of his subject, Gary Gach has taken a single (and often misunderstood)theme and compiled a "panorama" of examples that give life and texture to Buddha and Buddhism.

What he has done is kind of like a hundred talented photographers, using radically different techniques, having their crack at one single image or subject, each in his or her own way. Uniting dozens of other voices, Gach has given texture and spirit to his subject.

What surprised me the most is that this book never gets old -- I read it over and over again, sometimes a page, sometimes a poem at a time.

The movement of Eastern religions to the West has been one of the most remarkable phenomena of the 20th century. Beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing into the late 1990s, the influence of Buddhism (along with other Eastern religions) has been evident, perhaps most strongly in the arts and particularly strongly in contemporary poetry. Here is an enormous anthology of poetry celebrating that phenomenon.

- NAPRA ReVie

These are poems that capture that shimmering moment in time and allow it to illuminate our lives. They are the poems, mostly small, that come from perfect attention - the result of a moment, rendered timeless.

The book also comes with some wonderful tips for writers from Allen Ginsberg.

The single problem: I could find the Beat, but where's the Hip Hop?

I am the editor of this anthology.

CORRECTION: The title is not WHAT BOOK - the title is WHAT BOOK!?

Exclamation mark, question mark.

And an UPDATE: it received the American Book Award this year. This is the greatest honor.

It has been a few years since I first read this book. I recently picked it up again, and found gems in it that I had either forgotten (not likely) or that I now connect with in a brand new way.

There is a timeless quality to this work -- so many of the pieces touch a nerve, or make me smile, or are a complete distraction, or take a few readings before I understand them. In any event, many of Awl's recurring themes speak to me: a craving for silliness, sense memories, seeing things backwards, out-of-body experiences, serendipity, loneliness, sharing, insomnia, and flavor. There are more. And maybe even some that you would connect with that do not resonate with me.

In a word, Brilliant. A great writer, who gives this sparkling collection. I look forward to re-reading WTSM for many years (and for reading Awl's next book whenever it comes along).

...buy it already! And prepare yourself for that wonderful tickling sensation that is the stimulation of your grey matter, in a way you've not experienced before. Genius.

I've now bought seven copies of this book to give to people. I've personally read it three times and find myself refering to it periodically during the course of normal conversation. Sure, people look at me a little strange as we drive down the road in their car and I say something like "Please drive. Please drive slowly." but I simply smile with a self knowing satisfaction of what I'll be getting them for their birthday. It's really a fine piece of work this book. A bargain at twice the price.

In this delightful debut, Dave Awl explores relationships, identity and creativity with a great mixture of sensitivity, lyricism, humour, honesty and surrealism. In pieces such as Bestiary, Talking to Myself, Talking to Myself: The Interview, Immense Buddha Under Fire, Points of Connection, The Idea of You and the deliciously mysterious What The Sea Means, the strangeness and poignancy of life is examined with a refreshing vividity of style and deprecation of self.

By far my favourite piece is A Perfectly Empty Room, in which a man makes repeated attempts to clear out his room and, by extension, his life, only for everything to constantly find its way back in underneath his door - something I and, I'm sure, many other people can relate to. Dave Awl has a penchant for taking metaphors like this for a walk and seeing where they lead him. If you go along with him you'll find the journey is repeatedly interesting and above all, entertaining.

The best thing about this book though is how much there is of it. Dave Awl has been busy since 1987, and there is plenty here for readers to get their teeth into. The book is bursting with things to say, and even when it's said them it goes into some fascinating notes about where many of the pieces originated and how they were staged.

If you sometimes feel like the man that Vermeer painted over, and know that nobody can properly articulate the sadness of the tea kettle, buy this book.

The wonders of Dave Awl's book became apparent to me within 12 hours of it taking its place on my Kramer-style coffee table. A friend, not one normally to be seen within page-turning distance of a book - let alone to be seen sitting still on the sofa for longer than a nanosecond - suddenly (and without prompting) began reading aloud some of these stories, poems and monologues. Then she started laughing. Soon, she was recommending stories for me - I hadn't even begun reading 'What The Sea Means' at this point. Soon, we were passing the book back and forth, each reading aloud, exchanging "the good bits" (and there are many), and suggesting the book would make an excellent Christmas present for our friends.
OK. I'm biased. But I highly recommend, in no particular order: 'A Perfectly Empty Room' (story); 'The Idea of You' (monologue); 'Glastonbury' (poem); 'What The Sea Means' (poem); and a poem about Magritte, which I can't seem to find in the index but which I know has to be there ... Reading this book wouldn't be complete without its own little mysteries.
In a nutshell, word paintings that are surreal and full of revelations. Best of all, at the back of the book is a section of notes. It answers questions you haven't asked yet and poses some you wish you had.
Diving into Dave Awl's work is like discovering a continent or a magical island: You thought it might be there but you didn't dare hope it would be this weird, this different.
Do your brain cells a favour.