Poetry Books


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Poetry Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Poetry
The Collected Poems
Published in Paperback by Harper Perennial (1992)
Author: Sylvia Plath
List price: $17.95
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Collectible price: $17.95

Average review score:

Most poems fall short
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 32 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-19
I first came across Sylvia Plath in an anthology of modern poetry. Her poems "Daddy" and "Lady Lazarus" blew me away. The former may well be, in my opinion, the best poem ever written by a woman, and one of the five best written by anyone in the last two centuries. Buying this book, I expected more of the same. Unfortunately, I found most of her early work to be dissapointingly typical. The reason Plath is so controversial is that her greatness is linked inextricably to her darkness. Before the latter manifested during her divorce and subsequent depression, there just wasn't that much to her. In other words, much of her early poetry is that of a reasonably intelligent woman- entertaining, even a little intriguing, but lacking the fury of "Lady Lazarus", the darkness of "A Birthday Present", or the fatalistic beauty of "Ariel". And while there are some glimmers of the genius that is to come (The Colossus, I Am Vertical), they aren't many. My advice to any prospective reader is to save some time and money and pick up her collection "Ariel", which contains 90% of her essential work.

"Her dead body wears the smile of accomplishment..."
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-06
Sylvia Plath - The Collected Poems has to be the best book of poetry in the world. I love Sylvia Plath, she was a genius. Her poetry moves me, everything she has ever written is gold. The first poem I ever read by Plath was Metaphors, "I've eaten a bag of green apples, boarded the train there's no getting off." Something about that line just struck a cord with me, from that moment on I was determined to read all her poems. Another poems I love include: Soliloquy of the Solipsist, I am Vertical, The Other, The Rival, You're, The Rabbit Catcher, Lady Lazaurus, Stillborn, For A Fatherless Son, Leaving Early, Morning Song, Cut, A Birthday Present, Fever 103, Gigolo, Daddy, and The Disquieting Muses. She writes about her father a lot, he died when she was nine and his death left her with depression for the rest of her life, from The Colossus, "Counting the red stars and those of plum-color. The sun rises under the pillar of your tongue. My hours are married to shadow." The Jailer is a poem I just adore, "My sleeping capsule, my red and blue zeppelin drops me from a terrible altitude." The poem, Poem for a Birthday- Witch Burning is gorgeous and frightening real, "I inhabit the wax image of myself, a doll's body. Sickness begins here: I am a dartboard for witches. Only the devil can eat the devil out." Plath left a legacy of timeless poems, short stories, and a novel, The Bell Jar. I have enjoyed reading The Collected Poems and so will you, Enjoy!

The Best of the Best!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-03-28
I love poetry, and this every poetry lover's fantasy. Having a volume of one of the best poet's ever almost complete collection. This is a book that I treasure, all the poems are masterpieces, and so beautiful. No one will ever write or think like Sylvia Plath again. This is a must-have for all of her fans. I own many poetry volumes--and this has to be my favorite. I would definitely recommend this--it was well deserving of 5 stars, and even people who aren't big fans of poetry have no choice but to love "The Collected Poems" by Sylvia Plath.

Treasure Discovered!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-21
I originally bought this book seeking one special poem. What I have got now is a the key to the richest of treasure chests!

Collection Tracks the Course of a Genius's Rise and Fall
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-26
Anyone who has not discovered Plath's poetry-- distinctly superior to her prose-- would be greatly served to seek out a slim volume called "Crossing the Water." This haunting collection features most of her greatest poems from what I think to be her most creative years: 1957-1959. If these don't grab you, then give up on her altogether. However, the Collected Poems are the inevitable place to continue since they include her early promising works, as well as those dark pithy gems that characterize her bitterly twisted slide into the furthest reaches of her capacity for cynicism and despair.

A superb collection.

Poetry
Edgar Allan Poe Complete Tales and Poems
Published in Hardcover by Book Sales (1988-02)
Author: Edgar Allan Poe
List price: $14.98
New price: $44.99
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Average review score:

Masterful works
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-12
As a child, I couldn't put any of Poe's short stores down, now a few decades later, nothing much has changed. I was thrilled to add this book to my collection, it is well made, and comprehensive collection. All of this at a great price.

Great book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-11
The book arrived just in time and it is in excelent conditions. This edition contain all my favorites works of Edgar Allan Poe. I recommend it!

Berenice: Poe at his grimmest
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-28
Despite all who have attempted the genre since, Poe remains the supreme master of the horrific short story. From this collection I select "Berenice" to comment on, not only because it is a classic example of Poe, but also because it deals with a subject so typically his, that of obsession.
There is little point in trying not to "spoil" a Poe story by avoiding telling the final outcome, for in this story, as in much of his work, the fascination lies not in a teasing or elaborate plot leading to a surprise revelation, but in morbid, gristly dwelling on the awful texture of misery, melancholia and near madness. One can read them repeatedly, and they still taste satisfyingly rank and vile.
In this short story of brooding obsession, Egaeus looses his wife, Berenice, to illness, and in a fit of abstraction and obsession opens her grave and rips out the part of her that his mind has fixated upon: her teeth. Nasty and simple, but unforgettable.
There is little joy in Poe's world. Love, hope and happiness are only shown as a prelude to loss, to provide a fading dusk against which the blackness of the tragic end stands out more clearly.
It's interesting that some of Poe's readers complained to the editor when Berenice was published in the Southern Literary Messenger in 1935. This was early in Poe's career, and he reports the subscription list of this periodical as 700. In December of that year he was made editor, and by the time he left the subscription list numbered 5,500. Obviously then, as now, there was quite an appetite for horror amongst readers.

Awesome Edgar Allen Poe Book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08
This is an excellent book including all of his poetry, short stories and other literary works! 832pages of Poe! Got it as a present and the person it was for loved it!

Excellent condition
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-30
We received the book in the time designated and the book was in brand new condition

Poetry
Happy Birthday to You!
Published in School & Library Binding by Topeka Bindery (1999-10)
Author: Dr. Seuss
List price: $25.05
New price: $18.29
Used price: $25.05

Average review score:

Wonderful Birthday Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-05
I bought this book for my son to read to him on his birthday. It is a lovely book that my three year son enjoyed very much. We will be making the reading of this book a yearly tradition!

You can't go wrong with Dr Seuss
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-24
I just love all Dr Seuss books! This one is just as good. I'd never heard of it but when I saw it I had to get it for my son. I got it for his 1st birthday party for everyone at the party to sign like a yearbook and give him wishes for when he's older since he won't remember the party. We love the book too though!

Awesome birthday tradition!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-09
I bought this book for all 3 of my children for birthdays.
We read it every year on their birthday--it is an amazing book.

I highly recommend for birthday gifts or just because you love Dr. Seuss!

birthday gifts
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-31
Because I had put off buying a gift until the last minute, I was able to order the books and they arrived 2 days before the birthday party. I consider that great service. The 2 and 3 year olds loved it and it made me happy to know I got something they would enjoy longer than a few days. The Dr. Seuss Birthday books were a hit.

Happy Birthday
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-11
I sent this to my GF on her birthday and she said it was like a big Birthday card. I love Dr. Seuss.

Poetry
Here, Bullet
Published in Paperback by Alice James Books (2005-11-01)
Author: Brian Turner
List price: $14.95
New price: $8.44
Used price: $4.82

Average review score:

Fundamental Humanity
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-09
Subject aside, this is raw poetry. It is bare. It is honest. It has all the marks of a true theophany: the mystery that attracts irresistably, and the horror that repels, that paralyzes with trembling fear at the same time. If you cannot have the experience itself, or if you want to read someone elses notes on an incomprehensible experience you've shared with them, you will want to read this. Most "great" poetry about world shaking events was written decades, if not centuries, after the event. There is, however, a short shelf of poetry written by the people who were there, written when it happened. i think people hesistate to call it "great" because it lacks the essential distance of greatness. That does not make it any less personal, any less human, any less intense--and a hundred times more fundamentally human. Reading this, I'm reminded of the overwhelming effect the Crusades had on European culture. The conquorers were conquored one by one, and Western culture is all the greater for it. I hope Brian Turner goes on to cast this writer's eye on every detail of the remainder of his life. The everyday life he grew up in the US with is no less worthy than the life he experienced over there--after all, THAT is the life millions have grown up with as everyday, by definition. Yet look at how extraordinary.

A Window
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11
I was tentative when I ordered the book and thankful after I read it.
This strange and complicated and dreadful event which is raging over there was not made clearer (how could it!) but it was brought closer. For a while I was enabled to see it through the eyes and the mind of a man who has compassion and detachment at the same time. Linking his poems often to Koranic verses and Arab concepts provides an insight into the otherness as well as the comonality of these two worlds.
I bought 4 copies - one for myself the others for my children.
H. Boehme

Iraq Through the Poet's Eye
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-16
"The history books will get it wrong.
There will be nothing written
about the island ferris wheel
frozen by rust like a broken clock...."
"Ferris Wheel"

In Here, Bullet, U. S. Army veteran Brian Turner gets it right as only a poet can. Through vivid and varied images and voices, Turner illustrates the nuanced reality of the Iraq War Theater. He shuns cliché as he chronicles the scenes of war from unique and unexpected perspectives. In "Baghdad Zoo," Turner displays the chaos widely reported after the 2003 invasion not through familiar images of looting, sniper fire, and explosions, but through the experience of displaced animals thrust into a surreal and alien habitat. The absurdity of the scene provides a powerful metaphor that rings excruciatingly true.

Turner displays a profound respect for the rich culture of the Middle East that is often overlooked in the strife of battle. In "Alhazen of Basra," Turner pays homage to scientific and mathematical advances that form the foundation of academics. "Gilgamesh, in Fossil Relief" honors both the ancient poet and the modern archaeologist. Narthere, a painter, strives to capture in art the war around him as Turner depicts his frustration in "Easel."

Many have been touched in one way or another by the current war. Turner broadens his readers' perspectives with the voices of soldiers, medical personnel, and Iraqi civilians. Through these balanced points of view, Turner does what no camera or history book can do. He reveals what it is like to feel a life slip through the fingers, to be at the center of an exploding market, to strive for a sense of normalcy in a world turned upside down. Turner jars the imaginations and emotions of his readers through the concise words of a skilled poet.

With a minimum of judgment, Turner illuminates the world that friends, children, siblings, and spouses have experienced in Iraq. And he reminds his readers of the common human emotions and desires shared by combatants on both sides of war and by civilians caught in between. Far from a political statement, it is a statement of the human condition in a time of war.


Beautiful poetry admist war
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-07
Iraqi-war veteran Brian Turner penned a collection of his poetry in Here, Bullet, which he says all but one poem was written overseas. The result is a well-thought out and well-written firsthand account of the travesties of war. Turner manages to see and record the poetry in even the most devastating of circumstances, with such grace and poignancy. It seems almost effortless, as Turner even admitted as such. "Here, Bullet," the title poem, Turner says, "I sat down and wrote it probably within five minutes."
Turner incorporated many interesting elements into Bullet. The collection is divided into four parts, eluded by a telling quote. In fact, there are numerous quotes throughout, most accompanying/introducing a poem, including some from the Qur'an and some from famous figures such as Ernest Hemmingway. His choice to include Arabic words (and the selections from the Qur'an) could be considered controversial, but Turner is quick to defend his choices said that it felt right to do so. The Islamic language and cultural was indeed a key component, as the poems not only tell the stories of the soldiers, but also of the people living in the war-torn country. In "Two Stories Down," young Iraqi Hasan is dying and whispers, "Shukran, sadiq, shukran," which is Arabic for "Thank you, friend, thank you." This was a great example of how Turner incorporated the language into the piece and how it gave the poem a realness and painful authenticity.
In fact, Turner's respect and admiration for those people, which he acknowledged, is so clear that he seems compelled to share it. By his working with the various translators, and integrating it into the collection, Turner is continuingly trying to educate the reader and encourages further exploration by including a "Notes" section in the back to explain the various references. I thought that was a nice touch, rather than using foreign words and not explaining them, which I feel alienates readers.
The poem that Turner seemed particularly proud of was 2,000 lbs., a poem capturing the surrounding experience of what happened when a bomb went off in Ashur Square, Mosul. From the suicide bomber, to a US Sergeant, to a local old woman cradling her grandson, each stanza seems to paint a harrowing picture of the tragedy that touched it. Turner said in the poem he tried to create a feeling like a spanning view of a movie camera to capture those moments and give life to the scene. He does it well, giving all the characters a moment of expression, and the reader can feel as if they had just witnessed it.
Perhaps what I liked best about Turner, aside from his fantastic writing, was how unassuming he was. Turner has a humble demeanor and sense of humor, despite all that he has seen and done. Whether he was cracking jokes, ("Let's see, I know I have a sex poem in here,") or honoring his fallen comrades, he always remains true to himself. Like how he said he is against the war at the risk of seeming unpatriotic, or that he honestly guessed how much the bomb weighed (found out later that it wasn't 2,000 lbs), or how he dealt with death, his honesty of spirit was always the most powerful to me. And perhaps that's the best a poet can hope for.

not just statisics
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-15
The experience of war is one which changes people profoundly. A poet can express most vividly the subjective experience of terror, pain and loss. The fatalism that overwhelms the natural buoyancy of youth, the loss of friends, the waiting for what seems an inevitable wounding, perhaps fatal.
This book brings home the loss of joy that these young people suffer in an alien environment, many never to find it again. Too sad to read all at once. Read it as a token of respect.

Poetry
The Poetry Home Repair Manual: Practical Advice for Beginning Poets
Published in Hardcover by University of Nebraska Press (2005-02-01)
Author: Ted Kooser
List price: $19.95
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THE POETRY HOME REPAIR MANUAL
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-01
Ted Kooser has written a poetry manual for amateur and professional poets who are interested in improving their writing craft. His suggestions can be easily implemented. As a poet I've read many books on the writing craft but this one rates in my top three. There is more to writing poetry than to jot down the words the pretty Muse whispers in one's ear. For those serious about becoming better poets, this is the book for you.

Conversing with a Craftsman
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-25
This excellent no-nonsense book about writing poetry also manages to be inspirational. In clear and compassionate prose, Kooser addresses real issues that poets struggle with, such as the fine line that exists between gushing sentimentality and the resonant expression of real feelings, the subject of one of his 12 chapters.
Kooser provides wonderful examples to illustrate his points, giving us the pleasure of reading good poetry while we learn to write it. He also provides vivid images as metaphors for how writing works and how readers read, transforming glass bottomed boats and ham cubes into tools for crafting poetry.
Laced with humor, this book feels like a casual conversation that you want to return to again and again.

DELECTABLE
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-26
The author introduces his book saying it contains "my favorite tools for tuning up the poems you write". From discussing the poet's "job description" to the necessity of writing clear understandable poetry, from how poets should serve the poems they write to the necessity of having an imaginary reader in mind, from the importance of titles and opening lines, to cutting out unnecessary words, from ryhme to writing about feelings, writing from memory, how best to use anecdote, fine tuning similes and metaphors, and to a most inspiring chapter dedicated to "detail", this book guides readers to writing (and reading) poetry with greater sensitivity.

Among the many tools for fine tuning, the author sheds light on the connection between the specific choices a poet makes and their outcome, revealing ways in which a poet could manipulate such choices more consciously to achieve the desired results.

Throughout the book, the author quotes numerous poems to demonstrate his meaning, many of which are striking, some unforgettable. While some of the examples are from his poetry, he draws heavily on the work of other contemporary poets, enlarging the scope of the book to include many other voices and visions than his own.

Although deep insight permeates its every line, the book is written in clear and accessible language and a delightful sense of humor. The author possesses the gift of instructing with a light touch, revealing a great deal of information, while staying out of the way, a feat that requires a delicate and artful balancing act that is the mark of a true guide.

A gentle introduction to the art of writing poetry
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-20
This is not an intense workbook to poetry nor a rigid list of rules to follow. Rather, it is a gentle conversation with the author that pleasantly guides you along the finer points of writing poetry.

Interspersed with kind humor, we read sample poems that illustrate various aspects of poetry from voice to how to submit for publication.

It reminds me by its simplicity of "Elements of Style" by Strunk and White.

You might wish after reading it that it had more details and specific exercises to help us develop the poet's skills, but he references a few other works that provide more detail if one is looking for it.

I consider this a enjoyable read that opens up one's eyes to the beauty and nuances of poetry.

& or and
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-19
Ted Kooser has written a treasure for the beginning poet. The example of the ampersand on pg. 66 is the type of information beginning poets need to hear from accomplished, critically acclaimed authors. To have the insight of a poet laureate who does not withhold any trade secrets, but Kooser lays it all out there for the reader. Tips on what to avoid, like sentimentality, and explanations of the whys and wherefores of rhyme. A necessary book for the writer's library.

Poetry
Arm in Arm: A Collection of Connections, Endless Tales, Reiterations, and Other Echolalia
Published in Hardcover by Tricycle Press (1997-08)
Author: Remy Charlip
List price: $16.95
New price: $10.48
Used price: $4.90
Collectible price: $16.99

Average review score:

Old favorite....
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-01
I was given this book when I was a child and I still cherish
it today. The pictures and wonderful little rhymes and
verse are as amazing today as they were over 30 yrs. ago.
You cannot go wrong in giving a child a Remy Charlip book.
Enjoy!!!

A Favorite of Mine
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-13
This was my favorite book as a child. When the library sold the copy I used to read, I was lucky enough to purchase it. It's a delightful combination of illustration and poetry, with the text being part of the artwork.

The best Aunt!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-17
25 years ago I used to read this book over & over & over to my baby sister. After I had kids of my own we used to talk about how much we loved this book. She has searched for it over the years even though we could only remember clever bits from it. A little while ago she found it! I'm ordering a copy for myself and both my grandchildren. She is the best Aunt in the Universe! Thanks

What a relief.....
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-30
About 25 years ago, I had a copy of this book. I remember reading and re-reading it for hours on end, mesmerized by the drawings and the round-and-round stories. I remember all the stories and poems being short enough that I could read them in a minute or two, but could ponder them for days. It was a fantastic experience for me at seven years old, and I can honestly say this was the most memorable book I ever owned. I still remember the pictures and writings in "Arm In Arm" like yesterday even though I have forgotten about some of the books I still have.

I lost my copy 25 years ago, and at least once a week since then, the "dark and stormy night" story will pop into my head with the image of the ships going round and round in a circle, getting smaller and smaller as the story kept going round and round without end. I remember thinking that if I just had a magnifying glass strong enough, I could keep reading the story forever!! It was that kind of wonder that made this book so memorable and treasured.

I have kept telling myself that I was going to research the book and find it and get a copy, but never took the time. No disrespect to Mr. Charlip, but over the years I had forgotten the title and author, so I thought my chances of finding it were slim. Finally, today, I spend about 15 minutes on the Internet and found it. I am looking forward to getting my new copy and reading it with my three children (7, 5 and 2 years old). I can't wait to share this magnificent work of literary art with them. It is truly timeless. Thank you, Remy.

What a thrill to find this book again!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-04
As a child some 30 years ago I used to borrow this book from the library again and again. In my late teens I thought it would be a kick to look up that most favorite childhood book, only to find it available no more. But now I can buy it! I still remember so many of those goofy, beautifully illustrated mind twisters, but I'm really going to love seeing the ones that time has long hidden from my memory.

This book is a nostalgic treasure that has definitely stood the test of time, I've no doubt it continues to enthrall young people today. And I'm very pleased for Remy Charlip, in finding in these reviews that SO MANY of us remember this book from 20-30 years ago, went out of our way to track it down, and continue to share this book with future generations!

Poetry
Your Chance to Hear The Last Panther Speak
Published in Paperback by Von Chase Publishing Company (2007-04-05)
Author:
List price: $15.00
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Your Chance to Hear the Last Panther Speak by Chase Von is a masterpiece of poetry and prose!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-23
This is a collection of thought-provoking poetry, lyrics, quotes and short stories that tell about life in all its many moments. Most are hope-filled and positive. Others deal with the hurt and loss that occur in our modern day world.

Chase Von has such a deep and meaningful poetic voice. Each poem has a flavor all its own. He uses emotions and images to capture the reader and draw him in to the very heart of the action.

Among my favorite poems were Pink, Blue and Green, A Poem, I Am The Future, and A Letter Home. Each of these touched me very much.

Pink, Blue and Green is a poem that talks about racial intolerance. It is very clever. Not even an albino is free of this bias.

In A Poem, Chase shares the moment when a couple breaks up. He works through the loss by creating a poem. What a fitting tribute to what they once had!

I Am The Future shares the joy and importance a child brings to a family. How they become the focus of the parents. They are their present AND their future.

A Letter Home discusses the heartache of never knowing your ancestors because of slavery tearing cultures apart. I am part American Indian, and it made me think of how my ancestors were devastated, too. This poem touched me the most.

The lyrics are about friendship and love. They stand well on the written page. But, when I've heard some of these performed, they are great!

My favorite is I'm Your Friend. It is a very heart-felt song. Read it when you are sad or lonely.

Chase Von's quotes are quite profound. They make you realize how special his talent is. He can encapsulate a deep thought in such a way that it becomes immortal. His one about the universe being big enough to hold your dreams should be tacked on the wall of every child.

The short stories are very diverse and interesting. My favorite is The Tree and the Butterfly. It talks how helping each other in this fleeting world is important.

In closing, this showcase of selections is only the tip of the iceberg of Chase Von's talent. Take your time and enjoy them. I'll eagerly await the next book!

Dawn Huffaker
Author of Flights of Fancy, Volume 1 (Second Edition)

Passionate and Versatile Poet
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-30
This varied and earnest volume reveals the devotion Chase has for the power of words. "The Face Of," "Falling Stars" and "Will Be" are highlights, but there is something witty, wise or wisecracking to be found in virtually every poem.

Bold, Gripping, Powerful
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-15
Challenging, reflective and motivating, delivered with panache.

The Last Panther Speaks to us through poetry, lyrics and short stories that does much more than just touch your life.

"Don't live behind the walls that guilt built
The longer you stay incased in that tomb
The harder it becomes to break free
And write a new and different story
With the pen
That is your life"

Love it!

Watch Out! The Title of This Book May Fool You!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-02
"True love is the bridge
That covers the gaps
Left by
Misunderstandings
And like wise
Understanding
Is the passage way
Through which
True love
Enters our lives"

"Your Chance To Hear The Last Panther Speak" is a huge asset to the literary world as well as anyone, from any background, who takes the time to read it. I specifically suggest it to young adults and teenagers on a path to figure themselves out and too unsure of how to surpass the labels instilled within their life through the ignorance of society.

One thing that impressed me most is that Chase Von does not only help people surpass their label but also leads by example. A tough feat for anyone, but especially someone who lived within the label of a strong, unemotional gangster.
No matter what I face in life I can always find a write that I can relate to. He has the ability to put what other people are thinking but can't always articulate, into words. Beyond that, his writing style is versatile (Which is a talent few writers have) but the content always remain powerful!
I was reluctant to pick up the book, reading the words 'Black Panther" within the title I made an incorrect assumption that the book was aimed towards an audience interested in reading the message of the group The Black Panthers.

"Don't judge this book by its cover"

The works are moving (sometimes to the point of tears) and will teach you life long lessons.

Audrey Michelle

He painted with words on the canvas of my soul
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-01

From the first poem "my silence" posted on my page and through every stories and poems, it resonnated in my heart... this book will not leave you indifferent, it will challenge you for some, comfort you in your views for others, in a way or another, if it's by the beauty of the writting or by the meaning of his content,with certainty , i assure you that it will expand your heart and soul.

Thank you Chase for shining and being you.

"Where in today's world

Are those that truly carry on

The torch

That he so brilliantly lit our world with?"

You are one of them my friend.
Sincerely,
Flavia

Poetry
The Family Of Man
Published in Paperback by The Museum of Modern Art, New York (2002-07-15)
Author:
List price: $19.95
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best book of all
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-15
Best photography book about we human beings covering pictures about love, marriage,birth,childhood, growing up, work, getting along, war, and old age.
It is truly well done and my favourite for myself and to give as a gift to someone you care about, who is interested in humanity.

Family of Man as great as I remembered!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-15
Great book! I grew up with it, and rediscovered it just now. Wonderful!!

Timeless Insight Into The Universal Quality Of All People
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-08
This is my favorite book. I purchased it when I was 18, and loved black and white photography. I am now 65, and still see the same basic beauty in the photographs. It's not about the 1950's, or showing American culture. It shows how universal and similiar all people of all races and cultures are. It shows young children playing, people falling in love, weddings, births, hard work, wars, death, grieving, and even hope from various people and countries from our planet Earth. One family. One people. This is a collection of love, not about a specific time, or place, or our differences. This is a book that shows our skin colors, clothes, and countries may change; but we are all the same.





i love this book.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-10
I am so glad Family of Man is still available. I would also suggest that in conjunction with this book, you offer Family of Women, and Family of Children.

Perhaps the best photographic book ever published
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-12
I first found this book at Foyle's in London, about 35 years ago, and it struck me. Since then, I bought five copies of the Family of Man, but no one remained in my home, because ever I felt the need to give this book to someone I loved or trusted.
What is making this book so precious to me?
First the idea itself of collecting pictures from the whole world (remember, when Steichen launched his project, the Cold War and the related hysteria was at its peak). This to demonstrate that all the human beings have to pass through the same events in their life: birth, growth, education, emotions, work, love, children, reflection, death. This apparently trivial concept leads to a conclusion by far less trivial: we all do belong to one family, our species, the humans (by the way, this thinking had not so great success in the past, nor the present seems to be more benevolent).
The Family of Man is exactly the visual demonstration of such a concept, by comparing the same events as viewed from different geographic and cultural perspectives, by means of photos from renowned or unknown photographers (of course, the pictures from the US are prevailing in numbers for logistics and statistical reasons: it was by far more simple for an US photographer to even simply receive the news of the Steichen project than for a photographer in Rwanda or in the USSR).
Steichen and his assistants made an impressive selection, shortlisting 503 pictures from the over 2 million they received. By the way, Steichen was a photographer, and his selection also considered the aesthetic side of the question: most of the pictures selected simply are wonderful.
The result is this book. I think no one on this planet can miss it, because The Family of Man is representative of a large part of our culture and on our very nature.
To give an example, in my opinion this book is at the same emotional and rational level as Homer's Odyssey, Dante's Divine Comedy, Melville's Moby Dick, primo Levi's If this is a Man, or the ancient Greek lyrics, to quote some comparisons.
I hope it will continue to be published; we, the humans, desperately need it.

Poetry
New and Selected Poems
Published in Paperback by Beacon Press (1993-07-01)
Author: Mary Oliver
List price: $16.00
New price: $4.20
Used price: $0.88
Collectible price: $16.00

Average review score:

Mary Oliver Poems, Book 1
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-24
A must to complete the set. For some reason, I bought volume 2 first. As an aficiando of Mary Oliver, I am very happy to have both volumes now.

Relaxing, absorbing poetry
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-14
I love Mary Oliver's poetry - it always puts me into a better frame of mind, and makes me slow down and breathe. Her poetry is so lyrical and evocative, I am transported straight to the wonderful natural world, and am able to view my struggles and petty difficulties through a calming and peaceful lens. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry, and to anyone who hasn't yet fallen in love with poetry - Mary Oliver is one of the best poets ever, in my opinion!

Mary Oliver's Poetry
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-12
This is a collection of her poems, old and new. She is an outstanding poet, and one cannot do better than have her book of poems by your bedside, to read before going to sleep or when you awake in the night, or first thing in the morning.

Be Ignited Or Be Gone
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-10
The Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Mary Oliver, finishes her poem,"What Have I Learned So Far" with the line, 'Be ignited, or be gone.'To me, this conveys the passion she brings to life and poetry. What comes through clearly in her poems is her reverence for nature.
New and Selected Poems, Volume Two, is a moving collection of her past works combined with many new poems. There is a Zen isness that permeates her work.Haiku like parsimony with no embellishment. Nature does not need anything extra. For example, writing about what she saw after a storm -
And this detail: the body of a duck, a golden-eye; and beside
it one black-backed gull. In the body of the duck, among the breast
feathers, a hole perhaps an inch across; the color within the hole
a shouting red. And bend it as you might, nothing was to blame:
storms must toss, and the great black-backed gawker must eat, and
so on. It was merely a moment.
I recently saw Mary Oliver at the 92nd Street 'Y' in New York City where she was reading from this collection. See her if you can. She reads as she writes, with dignity and with passion and wisdom. This is an extraordinary collection of poems.

Mary Oliver is magical
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-17
I have about 5 of her poetry books. I feel that her poetry has gotten more and more beautiful over time, and believe that this collection is better than Volume 1. Mary Oliver is definitely my favorite poet - much of her writing is about a thirst for growth and spirituality, and finding peace in nature and love (friendships and relationships). I have given this book to a number of friends, who are also touched by her gift of expressing the unexpressable. Some of my favorite poems in this book: the Percy series (her dog), Why I Wake Early, and The Whistler.

My other favorite book of Mary Oliver poems is her most recent one: "Thirst". It deals with grief at the lost of her long-time partner and is quite beautiful. For those looking for a really good book of poems in general, I *definitely* recommend "Good Poems," compiled by Garrison Keillor; and "Risking Everything: 110 Poems of Love and Redemption" compiled by Roger Housden. Enjoy!

Poetry
She Is Like the Wind
Published in Paperback by PublishAmerica (2004-10-27)
Author: Rose DesRochers
List price: $14.95
New price: $14.95

Average review score:

Great Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-02
This book by Rose is full of heart and soul each poem truly is amazing and you can feel the emotions Rose displays in her work I read each poem and found each to be simply amazing.

Rose is very talented in writing and writes from her heart this book is truly excellent and anyone that likes to read incredible poems with heart will love this book I truly enjoyed reading it and find Rose's work to be incredible.

Breathtaking imaginary!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-08
The language and soulful spirit of Rose DesRochers poetry takes you into a realm of realism, as if you are right there with her through these very personal experiences. An exceptional read for all, especially those of us who have suffered the tragic lost of our dearest loved one. I recommend it to all!

Captured tears,memories,love,pain and the miracles of life .
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-27
Rose Desrochers paints a world of emotion on a canvas that is
her soul. The depth of pain,of love and even loss is staggering.
It left me speechless and aching for her,and yet I could
not discontinue my journey into her heart.With each poem I found
my heart aching more,and yet the need to reach further into her
words and feelings was overwhelming.She IS LIKE THE WIND is an
honest,near naked soul exposed to the world and I believe that
this book contains some of the greatest literary works of poetry
I have ever read. It was a pleasure to read it.

I wish her the best of luck with her future endeavors.
Excellent book,and Rose DesRochers has a talent that can only
come from the heart of a true poet.

reviewed by JWBradford
Author and Poet

Wow!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-04
Review of She is Like the Wind, by Rose DesRochers

She is Like the Wind is an extremely powerful collection of poetry. You can feel the author's complete heart and soul in every word. Reading this collection brought tears to my eyes and made me want to embrace the author as a friend forever. She is Like the Wind is a must read! Don't wait another moment - get your copy now!

Beautiful, moving poetry.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-01
"She Is Like the Wind" by Rose DesRochers is an honest and moving book of poetry by a creative and talented woman. Be prepared to have the tissue handy, especially when you read "Carousel Princess", "Whisper", and "Another Time, Another Place". This book is a must for any poetry collection.


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