Authors Books

Moving Target succeeds in transforming what could be a pedestrian topic into a fascinating tale of discovery. Ron Arias manages masterfully to make the reader a committed member of the author's family and his relentless quest to uncover the truth.

Arias accomplishes this considerable feat with an effective approach composed of painful candor, suspense and clean, compelling writing.

Moving Target was one of the best books I have read ever. It was a moving story of a family and the hunt for a father they knew or didn't know. I was jealous of the young mother, wishing she had been mine. Later on I was glad she wasn't! Her death was an enigma. Her writings were truly unbelievable and know that's where Ron got his talent for writing. I read this book several months ago and it took this time for me to write. It is tragically moving, poetic with an uncanny melodic verbage. The quest to find this father again took Ron to many places, winding up in of all places, California. The perseverance to not quit gave this reader a gut-wrenching mystery that kept me riveted to my seat. Once you start you cannot put it down. I will read this book again. I hope Ron continues to write as he haa a talent that needs shared with the world!

Moving Target, by Ron Arias, is the story of an American family, but not your typical next-door-neighbor kind of family. This is the story of a military family from the perspective of a sensitive, intelligent boy. While fellow army-brats will nod their heads in recognition as they read this memoir, most civilians would be astonished by the impact war and the warrior culture of discipline and rootlessness can have on a marriage and family.

Once begun,this book is not easy to put down. It is a chronicle written in a clear, accessible style, and often reads like a mystery novel. It takes a trip through recent history, putting personal faces on the Korean Conflict and the Cold war. As the writer matures and explores his father's military career and his mother's aspirations and marriage, many questions emerge. I felt compelled to follow Mr. Arias on his search to find the "real" man who shaped his life. Both his parents are brought fully to life, and as a bonus, Mr. Arias shares his adventures as a journalist. It is a courageous, heartbreaking, intimate life story that I will not soon forget.

The author has captured the depth and spirit that keeps our POW's alive, knowing that we cannot forget them and the sacrifice that they have made for us. It does not matter if they are held three weeks or three years, we must keep them in our hearts, minds, and prayers. This book should be required reading by the Military and their families, and those that are quick to find fault with the men and women in uniform. I came away from each chapter as a member of the family and their ordeal after the war. We must remember that the families are just as much POW's!

I made the mistake of starting to read "Moving Target" before going to bed one evening; at 3 am I was still unable to put this book down. It's the memoir of Ron Arias, a staff correspondent for People Magazine. It starts out as a biography of Arias' parents. His father, Armando, is being held as a POW in Korea. His mother holds the family together until Armando's return. But this happy event is soon overshadowed by many troubles; Armando is being discredited by the Army, his promotion to captain is delayed (is it because he's Hispanic?) And he's a changed man, brooding, a strict disciplinarian but now with an edge since his return from near-starvation and survival of a Korean POW camp. Ron and his brothers find the household tense and troubling after Armando returns.

And there are more mysteries. Why does Ron's mother refuse to take communion at Sunday Mass? There is truth to be uncovered here, and Arias takes us on a young man's journey to find himself and his family.

The memoir also shows us Arias' development as a writer, from a chance encounter with Hemingway in Pamplona, to a course in English literature in Argentina from a Professor Borges (yes, Jorge Luis Borges.) And in Argentina, Ron begins a career as a journalist. We follow Ron through a stint in Peru as a Peace Corps volunteer and watch how a young and talented journalist develops. But the story of his family and his identity is an equally compelling thread.

This is probably one of the best memoirs I've read in years. The writing is crisp, the description of everyday details sharp and focused. Arias has the ability to go back and look out of the eyes of innocence and ignorance-we follow him along in the book as if we all were sent back in time in his life. If you liked "The Color of Water" or "Angela's Ashes" this book will resonate with you. You really should read it. I promise you won't be disappointed.

In the last few years, so many memoirs and stories have been written by Iranians and published in English (mostly by Iranian women). It looks like the market is hot for these titles. This has resulted in publication of many disingenuous works that are politically reactionary and artistically inferior (such as Reading Lolita in Tehran).
"The Mullah with No Legs and Other Stories" is politically progressive (even though it does not directly deal with politics) and artistically superb. It is a personal journey of an Iranian boy written with an excellent humor and wit. The stories are mostly sad, but you can't stop laughing! This book reserves recognition. Read it! (I have heard that the author's name is a pen name. I don't know why he did not publish this work with his real Persian name.)

I have read so many so called memoirs about Iranians, mostly about Iranian women, with a few exceptions, such as Persepolis and funny in Farsi, I have found most of them dishonest and insincere; full of illusions and delusions not memoirs! However, "The Mullah with no legs and other stories" by Ari Siletz is the most honest account of a society going through rapid changes and a true experience of a little boy trying to come to terms with his society, his family, and himself. I enjoyed reading this book tremendously and I visited the "garden of memory" with Ari in every page of this book. I was laughing in one moment and crying in another moment. It touched my heart. I recommend this book to everyone who loves literature and enjoys reading and learning, Iranians, non-Iranians, men, women, adults, and children! Ari, please write more, we need more of you and less of those who write for an emerging marker of the "Iranian women memoir industry".

There is a reason why all the reviewers (so far) give this book 5 stars; it belongs on the national best-seller list. The Mullah With No Legs and Other Stories is a thin volume (perfect for busy lives)of beautifully crafted short stories. Written by Iranian-American Ari Siletz, it has to be THE book for academics and lovers of literature with an interest in cross-cultural literary themes. The characters in Siletz's stories are acutely drawn and treated with a degree of sensitivity and mischievous humor normally attributed to some of the best writers of our era. His stories are infused with warmly depicted, foible-ridden individuals whose lives unfold in completely recognizable ways to the Western reader, albeit laced with an Iranian gestalt: ancient Persian traditions, religious custom, and highly complex familial motivations. Because he is a masterful story-teller with a brilliant affinity for evocative prose, Siletz belongs firmly in the world of literature; but he has the insight and observational acumen of a skilled anthropologist. These are the reasons I think The Mullah With No Legs And Other Stories belongs on the bestseller list. His talent eclipses that of many contemporary writers whose names are now household words.

Siletz has a graceful manner in telling stories that leads the reader into territory that feels unfamiliar at the outset, but brings understanding of the commonality of the human condition by the end.

His stories have an autobiographical feel to them, but they are fiction. They are based on his childhood experiences in Iran and are written with an eye towards enlightening American audiences about life in Iran.

One of my favorite stories was "The Dog" for it showed the cultural differences in how dogs are perceived between Iranians and Americans. The funniest aspect was showing how his Iranian family was surprised to hear that anyone could make money selling dog food, dog toys and dog soaps. Because dogs, while not forbidden are considered to be unclean.

A favorite line of mine was "Give a parched Iranian the choice between a glass of water sniffed by a dog and a glass of radioactive waste, and he will have to think about it."

I highly recommend this book, and it will soon be back in print!

Initially, seeing the word "Mullah" in the title, I thought this was going to be mostly about politics and Mullah/Islam bashing.... I was so off!
This is a must read. I enjoyed this book on so many levels. I was able to see a side of Iran and the Iranian culture not usually talked about, through the eyes of a child, an Iranian adult, with a twist of an American perspective making serious subjects/moments humorous to read. It was well written. Sanazbanu N.

Cori just wanted to do something with her life. So the Australian teen decides to join a missions trip for the summer in Indonesia. The plan was to witness to the locals and build them a church. The team was expecting to come back with stories of how they saved the village. Instead they find themselves running for their lives after the pastor of their village is brutally murdered in a religious battle. Cori and the other members of her team plus the pastor's children must find a way to save themselves as they hike through the jungle for help. Along the way they experience trials and tribulations that no one their age should ever face and that will leave them scarred for the rest of their lives.

Word of mouth promotion really does work. That's why I picked up this book, because of all the good reviews I had heard about it. And I was not disappointed at all. This book is intense. The story will linger in your mind for days. It's not a story to enjoy lying on the beach. You need to be in the right frame of mind to read this book. I've always wanted to go on a missions trip. It is on my list of things to do before I die. So while reading this book, I did get a little of what could happen if I went to someplace like that part of Indonesia. The missionaries who live in remote areas like this are to be commended for the bravery they show trying to spread God's word. The teens in this book are wise beyond their years. I don't know if I could have been as strong as they were if I was put in the same situation. It was heartbreaking to read about the emotional turmoil they were going through just trying to get home. It was just incredible about everything they went through: from seeing killings, running from snakes and wild boars, trying to overcome malaria. It's like an extreme version of Survivor for Christian teens. Even though the characters in this book are teenagers, the subject matter is quite serious so at least older teens should be reading this. It was also sad to see how the two religions are at wars with each other. It's devastating to read about Christians acting in such a brutal way against others especially since we are taught to love everyone. Obviously those people are not the best representatives of Christianity.I agree with others that this was one of the best Christian fiction books published in 2007. Lisa McKay has made her mark in the publishing world. I encourage everyone to read to this book. I guarantee it will have a major impact on you.

This book has cost me many hours of sleep this week. I would start reading and just be unable to put it down! The characters were so interesting, and so loveable, and the plot was so good! I really felt like I was right there, going through it all with them.

This is probably the best fiction book I've read all year.

My Hands Came Away Red is an exceptional story, written by Lisa McKay, a wonderfully fresh voice in Christian fiction. I loved the realism with which the story was portrayed, as well as the emotion that drew me into this incredible drama. I also loved the growth that took place in each of the characters. This was not a predictable story, with a predictable ending, and I so appreciate that. Lisa McKay obviously drew from her professional/ministerial experiences to weave this heartwrenching tale. I look forward to more from this gifted writer.

After finishing all of Francine Rivers' novels, I had been searching hard for a good Christian fiction novel. I found many that were moderately entertaining, usually ending with some main character becoming a Christian and then falling in love. Utterly predictable. McKay's novel blew right past any chiches in her treatment of tough issues like God's character and His response to injustice. She paints her characters with nuance and shading so well that I feel like I was part of their little mission team. If you have done any overseas missions, you will especially enjoy this novel. It was so thoroughly enjoyable that I couldn't help but read portions aloud to my poor husband. But more than that, it is a terrific, honest, beautiful story of an incredible journey with a bunch of messy, ordinary but also extraordinary individuals who become a family doing the work God called them to do. I hope you enjoy it as I did!

Wow! What a great book. Having lived and worked in Indonesia and dealt with some of the fallout of the many religious and ethnic fightings there, this book does an excellent job of covering the emotions and struggles of the people. While the story is told from the perspective of an American teenager this book is great read for all ages. And what fun to read a bit of Bahasa Indonesian. I can't wait too see what this author comes up with next!

Remember when Harry Kemelman's Rabbi Small tales were about all there was of Jewish crime fiction? No longer, as editor Lawrence W. Raphael makes clear in "Mystery Midrash: An Anthology of Jewish Mystery and Detective Fiction." Some familiar wordsmiths and characters are to be found in these pages, from Stuart M. Kaminsky (whose Chicago detective, Abe Lieberman, here takes a confession from a lapsed and irate Jew) to Ronald Levitsky (contributing a story in which civil-liberties lawyer Nate Rosen faces a truly unique First Amendment case) and Howard Engel (providing P.I. Benny Cooperman with a light-hearted locked-room puzzle). Although Raphael's selections often deal with Jewish issues, fans of this book will likely stretch across the religious spectrum. ...

A Yiddishe Kop, I know... but a Yiddishe Cop? Will dvar mysteries replace dvar torahs on Shabbat morn? Will parents stop hoping their child will be a doctor or a lawyer, and hope for a Jewish cop or detective? What is midrash? Isn't it a deep investigation of the text in order to learn more about it, and piece things together, to compare various texts and clues? Isn't that what a P.I. (Private Investigator) does, too? In this book are original stories by notable mystery writers. Batya contributes "Kaddish", a mystery about a secular Jew who must console a dead rabbi's family by helping them focus on the rabbi's goodness and not the alleged, scandalous events surrounding his death. In "Bread of Affliction" by Michael Kahn (author of the Rachel Gold series, Sheer Gall, Grave Designs), Chicago Attorney Rachel Gold must use her knowledge of Pesach to solve a mystery surrounding a contested will. Richard Fliegel, creator of the Jewish detective, Shelly Lowenkopf ("A Minyan for the Dead"), writes in "A Final Midrash" about four rabbi's who help a detective solve a murder that one of them has committed. If I had a sack of cash, I would certainly option the film rights for "A Final Midrash"! For not only is it an interesting short mystery, but it is a well crafted allusion to the 3 rabbis who entered Pardes with Rabbi Akiva, as well as the four ways to create a drash, namely Pshat, Sot, Drash, and Mysticism. Other contributors include: Toni Brill, Howard Engel, Stuart Kaminsky, Faye Kellerman, Ronald Levitsky, Ellen Rawlings, Shelly Singer, Bob Sloan, Janice Steinberg, and James Yaffe. I was not used to reading mysteries prior to reading this book, but I think this anthology has sparked that "Pintelye Mystery".

This anthology was one of the "best reads" of 1999. Most likely the book will be overlooked, hence this review. The storylines, variety, and exceptional writing by the authors make this book a must. Enjoy!

Lawrence Raphael has edited a collection of short stories that allowed me to do two of my favorite things at the same time: reading mysteries and reading about Jews. The collection is a great delight. It combines the comfort of familiarity with the intrigue of the mysterious. The stories span the spectrum of the religious to the assimilated; there's something for everyone. I'm looking forward to Volume II.

Clever, funny, humane, with a nod at the dark side of the human mind, Mystery Midrash is just what it says: the exploration and development of a common theme, in this case, the mystery short story. As with all midrash, each different take on a story tells us something new; as with all good midrash, that something new returns us to the innate unchangability of the human dilemma, and to humankind's steady relationship with the forces of order in a world of chaos.

Even readers who are not sure why a cheeseburger is a moral decision for a Jew will love this feast.

Richard Wilbur is a master of form. His poems are incredibly stately, balanced, intelligent, and beautiful, and then one notices that everything rhymes exactly where it's supposed to! Bonus points!

If you enjoy more than merely reading excellent poetry that rhymes and makes sense, but also composing some of your own, this is the master to be discipled by. Sitting at Wilbur's feet for years can't help but enable some of his craft to rub off by sheer delight or osmosis. Merely by associating with poetry the way it was meant to be written can permanently raise the bar of anyone's craftsmanship to new levels. There is a richness in Wilbur's best work that is unrivaled among his contemporaries and matched by few of his predecessors (Frost, Robinson, Yeats, Hardy, Housman). Also recommended: get your hands and mind on anything Wilbur has written in the form of Essays/Prose that describe what great poetry is and why it will always be core to the human condition. Although Auden once said 'poetry doesn't make anything happen' in his Sept.1939 tribute to Yeats' death, Wilbur's comes closest to making something happen at the spiritual, cognitive and affective level of the human psyche that proves his subject matter matters and always will. Other than the late Frost, no American poet would be more richly deserving of the Nobel Prize for Literature than Richard Wilbur. But as a sincere Christian, he is laboring for no mortal pay; however, he humbly deserves all the accolades and tributes from what is past,or passing, or to come.

Richard Wilbur is undoubtedly the best poet of the last half of the 20th century. This book collects all his poetry other than Mayflies (published later) and a couple translations. Buy It!

This Pulitzer Prize-winning collection contains all of Wilbur (except his great translations of Moliere and Racine) in reverse chronological order of his books from 1989 to 1954. This is the opposite of most poetry collections, so it seems strange to have the poems get less confident as you read on. Still, the final poem, "The Beautiful Changes," is near-perfect and perfectly sums up Wilbur's paradoxical outlook: beauty is eternal and ever-changing.

Wilbur is old school. He is all about meter and rhyme and beauty. His command of sound and sense is second to none alive. (He has edited a collection of Poe's poetry and is famed for his accurate verse translations of Moliere's plays.)

As I read through this book, I put a star by every poem I liked. Flipping through it now, I see there is a star by almost every poem. I did not find Wilbur as deep or as challenging as Frost or Yeats, poets he is compared to by other reviewers on this site. I can, however, appreciate his mastery of the craft of formal poetry. This is not some bad pseudo-Shelley but really a poetry in the language of our time about the issues of our time.

If you detest rhyme, complex stanzas and short, potent lyrics, by all means avoid Mr. Wilbur. But if you find delight in the artful manipulation of language then you are depriving yourself of happiness in not reading this collection.

UPDATE: Wilbur has released a new COLLECTED POEMS in 2004 that supecedes this edition. It only adds a score or so of poems, but I recommend it because there are a few new ones like "Man Running" that no Wilbur fan should be without.

it's no wonder wilbur was once the poet laureate or that this collection won the pulitzer, the man is good. he uses the language beautifully (the way english was meant to be in poetry), he has tight control of the rhyme, meter, subject, and words in his poems. where he really shines is in his translations. wilbur is one of the best translators living today.

This was a new experience for me. As a male who likes short stories and has read dozens of anthologies, this book by a woman about men and women made me feel like a voyeur unable to turn his eye away from the keyhole. The author is incredibly skilled and insightful as she takes the reader on 10 very enjoyable rides through periods in a number of lives -- each artfully constructed around romantic relationships (some in crisis) -- and each with the presence of at least one cat. The gemlike stories are so gripping several could turn into screen plays. They are interesting, unpredictable and provocative. The psychological elements reminded one of Ibsen, the social caste clashes brought to mind the fine 18th and 19th -Century English writers, and the romantic entanglements twisted by karma evoked certain French authors. There is no need to describe plots. As soon as you start to read, you will know you are in very competent hands. The cats are important in different ways in different stories. I note that practically all the other reviewers are women, so I felt I should add my voice by saying to male readers,

"If you want to know what 'They' are really thinking, read this book!"

I grabbed this when I saw it because I've got a nonfiction book coming out next spring (2002) on the connection between women and cats, saw this as a reward for getting the ms. done, and I'm so happy I did. Beautiful, lucid writing about real relationships -- primarily romantic human ones, as opposed to human-feline -- and a joy to read. The one on the schizoaffective brother-in-law ("The Closest Place") broke my heart with its truth (yeah, I've got a book on growing up with mentally ill siblings out, too). Hope she does a novel next. - Clea Simon, author of "Mad House" (Penguin), "Fatherless Women" (Wiley), and the upcoming "Feline Mystique" (St. Martin's).

What a great, sweet book. And about so much more than cats and men!! If you're looking for a book about cats, it's a must-read, but make no mistake, this book appeals equally to non "cat people" like myself (it's not that I don't like them -- I'm allergic). The cats are critical to the work, however, because they allow us to be the fly on the wall we always want to be when reading a great piece of fiction, or in any other way peering into the lives of others and secretly desiring a place at the table (or in this case, in the bed, on the couch, on a driveway in the sun). De Gramont weaves this brilliant literary device around her wonderfully vivid characters and the situations they find themselves in, drawing the reader in so hauntingly deep that the line between fiction and reality starts to blur. I rarely find a book that I enjoy so much. The characters will either become some of your favorite characters in fiction or remind you keenly of some of the genre's most memorable. I want more - more stories, and more of these people's lives. Read this book. We'll be waiting in line together for a copy of De Gramont's next book. It'll be fun.

What a great, sweet book. And about so much more than cats and men!! If you're looking for a book about cats, it's a must-read, but make no mistake, this book appeals equally to non "cat people" like myself (it's not that I don't like them -- I'm allergic). The cats are critical to the work, however, because they allow us to be the fly on the wall we always want to be when reading a great piece of fiction, or in any other way peering into the lives of others and secretly desiring a place at the table (or in this case, in the bed, on the couch, on a driveway in the sun). De Gramont weaves this brilliant literary device around her wonderfully vivid characters and the situations they find themselves in, drawing the reader in so hauntingly deep that the line between fiction and reality starts to blur. I rarely find a book that I enjoy so much. The characters will either become some of your favorite characters in fiction or remind you keenly of some of the genre's most memorable. I want more - more stories, and more of these people's lives. Read this book. We'll be waiting in line together for a copy of De Gramont's next book. It'll be fun.

This was a new experience for me. As a male who likes short stories and has read dozens of anthologies, this book by a woman about men and women made me feel like a voyeur unable to turn his eye away from the keyhole. The author is incredibly skilled and insightful as she takes the reader on 10 very enjoyable rides through periods in a number of lives -- each artfully constructed around romantic relationships (some in crisis) -- and each with the presence of at least one cat. The gemlike stories are so gripping several could turn into screen plays. They are interesting, unpredictable and provocative. The psychological elements reminded one of Ibsen, the social caste clashes brought to mind the fine 18th and 19th -Century English writers, and the romantic entanglements twisted by karma evoked certain French authors. There is no need to describe plots. As soon as you start to read, you will know you are in very competent hands. The cats are important in different ways in different stories. I note that practically all the other reviewers are women, so I felt I should add my voice by saying to male readers,

"If you want to know what 'They' are really thinking, read this book!"

This delightful collection of short stories was based on Rose Wilder Lane's life as she was growing up. She accurately
described the issues women faced at around the turn of a century, especially that of being an old maid! An old maid if
you're not married by your mid-20's? Wow!

The stories in this book was a combination of humorous and some seriousness. The characters were realistic and seem to come to life for that time period.

I bought my copy at the museum in Mansfield because I always wanted to read Rose's work. This book is a gem. The essay introducing the book is worth getting the book but each story is a gem on its own. Her voice is fresh and rings well today. You would not know she lived in the first half of the 20th century.

I have loaned this book out to 2 people now and all of us are knocked out at how good Rose was. Purchase it, read it. Rose was well known in the early part of last century for good reason. Let's bring this author back to the audience she richly deserves today.

This is a hidden jewel in american literature: a detailed portrait of life before women's right to vote was a federal law, before Margaret Sanger, before Rosie the Riveter. The author survived small town life, and lived to tell and in her own way celebrate it. I will be giving this book to all the tweenager girls I know (and my own daughter when she is old enough!).

This book is wonderful, funny and hearwarming. My great aunt was born in the same era and used to tell me similar stories in this fashion. What a life women had in the olden days, there are not many real life accounts in print that are honest and true. This one is. What a fun book to read.

Rose is just as gripping a writer as her mother, although with a far more adult narrative style.

The author has captured LIFE! Bravo for old-fashioned writing!

Catherines rare perceptions and insights fill me with a lightness that must be pure oxygenated love...the kind that wants to find an ear and tell them..."Read this! It will make you feel, really feel! They are the stories that our generation needs to tell the next generation on how to be a human bein; not one that changes DNA or breaks the sound barrier, but one that can say I love you and I love life and all it can, and kneels down to little children, and looks up to nature and walks arm in arm with those one meets.

They are Catherine's stories to set a measure by and look at it when we are unsure, a ethical plumline of decency and respect. They are fireside stories to be read in a home where someone has died,in a ghetto with no fire, to a fiend over a cup of coffe and jelly doughnuts, to your husband in bed on a cold night, at a family reunion, to a stranger next to you on the airplane...to anyone to whom you want to give the gift of words...important words of care, mending, smiling and bending,

As comics find the humor in everyday life, Ms. Bauer has found the beauty there. Every essay reminded me that life is indeed full of love and gentle humor and worth the effort. How refreshing to read about the joy of life and not the tragedy - a tribute to the human spirit.

To me essays are strolls through a writer's perceptions of life and people. Bauer's writings are easy on the mind. Reading them is like walking through a beautiful garden fragrant with gorgeous blossoms, overreaching trees and sparkling fountains. At the same time some have a humorous twist that brings a chuckle or two. When I need a lift or a laugh, One Day On Earth, A Third Eye view is a favorite reference And, Bauer's third eye sees life through a clear lens. I love her style and commonsense views. ~ Jo Peddicord, Author and Syndicated Columnist

Catherine writes with an insight into the human soul. She makes me smile and then I'm left with a gentle inner strength - just having shared a moment in Catherine's world. The reader will feel a kin-ship with her chosen subjects whether you are living the rush-hour life or retired. "The House That Frank Built" is a reminder that it isn't the perfection, size, or cost of the house that makes it a home, but the lessons of love, respect, understanding, and tolerance learned in this not-so-perfect house that are important. Her gems of wisdom will delight you and give you cause to look in, through, and beyond the mirror of life. Whether she brings a tear to your eye or a smile to your lips, this is truly an enjoyable book for a second and third read, etc.

If you enjoy a collection of poems featuring Shakespeare, D.H. Lawrence, Robert Browning, Lord Byron, Emily Dickinson and Thomas Moore, then many of these poems may already be very familiar. There is comfort in reading familiar poems and yet I'm always eager to find new poems.

Patterns by Amy Lowell is a completely new poem to me and the descriptions of ribboned shoes, lime trees and daffodils invited me to read this poem more than once. What is truly stunning about this particular poem is the way in which Amy Lowell expresses her grief through the beauty of nature. She becomes the images as if she stepped into the painting and became the soul of nature.

I also enjoyed "Of My First Love" by Hugh MacDiarmid:

Silhouetted against grim black rocks
This foaming mountain torrent
With its source in desolate tarns
Is savage in the extreme
As its waters with one wild leap
Hurl over the dizzy brink
Of the perpendicular cliff-face
In that great den of nature
To be churned into spray
In the steaming depths below

After describing this waterfall, he then describes the water as a lover's waving hair in a tremendous cascade and then turns this into a description of great passion for his lover's golden hair rippling out between his fingers.

William Shakespeare makes his appearance in "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?" I finally copied "Meeting at Night" by Robert Browning into my journal because I love the way the words sound like they are rowing through the gray sea to the warm sea-scented beach.

So while every Classic collections seems to present The Passionate Shepherd to His Love and Love's Philosophy, you will also find The River-Merchant's Wife: a Letter by Li T'ai Po and The Mirabeau Bridge by Guillaume Apollinaire.

One Hundred and One Classic Love Poems will comfort you with classics and surprise you with poems you may have yet to discover.

~The Rebecca Review

This is a charming and delightful collection of love poetry. Some of the best known poems you remember from English Class and some others you may never have read. No matter the reason, you will enjoy this book.

Also Recommended: Quotes, Poems, and Words That Flow by Kevin Grommersch (contains some of my favorite love poems).

From sonnets of undescribable beauty to free verse of pure ethereal spirit, 101 Classic Love Poems is a must for each aspiring Romeo. It is essential for those of us who would like to put into words the feelings of our soul.

Highly recommended for any true poet or poetry fan. The collection of poetry in this book is sure to please anyone. Not too feminine or masculine, there is something for everyone. It features well knonw classics, read in your high school English classes, and some lesser known ones. Inspires you, Seduces you and makes you feel all warm and tingly.

This anthology is alluring in every way. Each poem has a distinctive effect, especially when they are read aloud. This book is most enchanting when read from cover to cover. There are nuances in each poem that mingle with the romantic sensibilities. Even though the poems are aged and classic, the collection seems fresh and untouched. It is truly a remarkable anthology, and necessary for anyone with even the smallest amount of tenderness. Passionately reccomended.

Since I returned from my first trip to China, I have become fascinated with Chinese culture and history.

I don't know much about poetry except that I like what I like (what moves and inspires me).

Something tells me that these translations are as much Kenneth Rexroth as they are the Chinese masters, which is fine with me because it is obvious that Rexroth captures a variety of moods and feelings which are quite profound.

I think it does justice to the integrity of this body of literature.

Particularly moving to me are the translations of Mei Yaochen whose poems dealing with his dead wife reveal a passion and respect for wamnhood that bellies our general notion of woman's treatment and subserviant place in China; and the poems of Madame Chu Shu Chen who is also very passionate in her feeling as a woman in China.

Comparisons: translations by Greg Wincup; Xu Yuan Zhong; Tony Barnstone

This highly portable collection demonstrates the posture a translator must take when approaching the rich body of ancient Chinese poetry. Rexroth masterly retains the playfulness and humanity that allow these poems to endure through the centuries and yet he regards these rare artifacts with reverence.

These poems are a great introduction to several key poets, both male and female, from several Chinese dynasties.

ONE HUNDRED POEMS FROM THE CHINESE. By Kenneth Rexroth. 148 pp. New York : New Directions, 1965 and Reissued.

The present book is in two parts. First we are given Rexroth's readings of thirty-five poems by Tu Fu, based on the Chinese text. The second part consists of a selection of Sung Dynasty poetry, most of which had not been Englished prior to Rexroth.

Rexroth makes no great claims for these translations, some of which he admits are rather free. But he does express the hope that "in all cases they are true to the spirit of the originals, and valid English poems" (p.xi).

It has always seemed to me that Rexroth succeeded brilliantly. Here are a few lines chosen at random from Tu Fu's 'Loneliness' (with my obliques added to indicate line breaks) :

".... Where the dew sparkles in the grass, / The spider's web waits for its prey. / The processes of nature resemble the business of men. / I stand alone with ten thousand sorrows" (p.16).

Here are a few from Su Tung P'o :

".... As for literature, it is its own reward. / Fortunately fools pay little attention to it. / A chance for graft / Makes them blush with joy" (p.73).

These readings of Rexroth will delight all open-minded readers. Who cares if he wasn't a union-approved sinologist? Purists may sputter, but since his versions are 'true to the spirit, and valid as English poems,' could any sensible person reasonably ask for more ?

You *NEED* this book. Every library ought to have a heart. And this book is an excellent place to start.

Kenneth Rexroth is a poet first and a translator second; judged on that basis, his One Hundred Poems from the Chinese is a great success. His approach, set out in a brief introduction, is simply to produce the best English poem he can in the spirit of the original. The resulting translations are more or less free as he thought appropriate for each individual work.
The book is in two parts. Part one consists of Rexroth's versions of 35 poems by Du Fu, whom he describes as "the greatest non-epic, non dramatic poet who has survived in any language". He clearly knows these poems well, and his translations are uniformly good.
Part two offers around 70 works by Sung dynasty poets; some are represented by only one piece, some by more extensive selections. These tend to be more free, more personal, and often strikingly modern works. In Rexroth's words again: "The whole spirit of this time in China is very congenial today"- a statement as true today as when it was written in 1971. Many of these poets are still not well translated in English, so Rexroth's translations are invaluable.
At the back of the book is a brief, but adequate, notes section with information on each poet and explanatory material.
Rexroth's concentration on the lesser-known Sung poets is paralleled by his choice of poems in the Du Fu section. He does not confine himself to the best known pieces found in other collections, striking a good balance between the familiar and the new.
An interesting example of Rexroth's approach to translation is:

Another Spring
White birds over the grey river./Scarlet flowers on the green hills./I watch the Spring go by and wonder/If I shall ever return home.

Rexroth has changed the river's colour from blue in the original to grey: a good example of a liberty which would be objectionable from a translator, but which he can get away with. He also clarifies "blazing" in the original to "scarlet", which allows him to preserve the original's strictly parallel parts of speech in the first couplet.
This is a fine book. It was first published more than 30 years ago, but it has lasted because of the consistently high quality of translation and because of the unusual selection of poems offered. I cannot recommend it highly enough.