Carnegie Mellon University Books

The Romanian Constantin Brancusi not only brought sculpture into modernity, but arguably was also the greatest sculptor of the 20th century. Among Brancusi's western exegetes there is a growing number of theses about the origins of, and influences into, Brancusi's creativity and style, respectively.

This work of Edith Balas, Carnegie Mellon University Professor of Art History, places (rather restitutes) the origins of Brancusi's works in the Romanian folk traditions. In doing so, the author:

1) Compares Brancusi's output to Romanian folk art (employing photos of sculpture, tapestry, etc.);
2) Quotes Brancusi;
3) Places Brancusi's works, conceptually, as a reflection of Romanian fairy tales and myths.

When Balas looks at the touted influence of African art on Brancusi she does so very carefully and manages to convincingly limit the scope of such influence--in time and artistic output. I should mention that there were indeed influences of African art in the Parisian artistic milieu in the first decades of the 20th century --several surrealists acknowledging such debt.

As a footnote, the author, coming herself from Romania, shows a great level of understanding of the Brancusian formative environment.

A few notes about the book itself. It is at its 2nd, and graphically much improved, edition. The larger size, typeface, and the general appearance of this edition do justice not only to the subject itself, but also to the labor of love Professor Balas must have put in writing it. Oh, need I say that this book has footnotes, as opposed to end-notes? No, all these don't qualify this work as coffee-table material, yet somehow this book addresses the reader's mind and senses alike. And now, as advice for bibliophiles, get your copy before late for its 1st edition has been nigh impossible to obtain for a long time. I'm assuming that lovers of (Brancusi's) art need no persuasion on the last point.

Nota Bene: For a conceptual approach towards Brancusi's place in the space-time continuum called history, Mircea Eliade in his 1967 essay 'Brancusi and Mythology' (available in 'Ordeal by Labyrinth') offers great insight too.

Gregory Orr is unreal. Every poem in this collection, whether concerning the poet's complicated youth, or merely describing a lake, takes off in a frenzy of pyrotechnical magic that is both comprehensible and awe inspiring.

I do not think there is a single poet out there today who has Orr's talent and who is also so eager to give interviews, expound on poetry without pretentiousness, and give otherwise lost young poets a roadmap to go by. And if you've ever read anything about him, you'll know how far he's come and how much he's worked through. This and his latest in "Rattle" are highly recommended.

I love Stephen Dunn's work for many reasons, for his clear, direct prose and his honesty about all subject matters. Circus of Needs embodies these reasons to the best of Dunn's abilities.

In this collection of poetry, there is a sense of sadness that is comforting. Dunn points out that life is not perfect, that all is not well; he speaks for the everyday, common man and acknowledges the beauty in our world that slips by unnoticed too often. The standout poem is "Instead of You," in which Dunn explains that "from the start all I wanted to explain was how things go wrong, how the heart's an empty place until it is filled, and how the darkness in forever waiting for its chance." The point is that Dunn is writing for us, the readers; he extracts and dissects subject matter, wanting to breathe a new life into the normal while examining it closely, like a butterfly. Although "there's no way to keep the ugliness out, ever," Dunn writes in an effort to understand what we all ignore, so that he can "pull you from the wreckage and kiss your bruises, so black and gold."

Every poem in this collection, from the aching "Sister" to the comical "Belly Dancer at the Hotel Jerome" to the lovely predictability of "Introduction to the 20th Century" brings fantasy and pleasure to the real. Dunn spins our boring reality into something intangible and surreal; he allows us to see with new eyes what might have been, what could be still. Circus of Needs is not his best collection (Between Angels gets my vote), but it is certainly unique and beautiful in its own right. From a lesser poet, this collection might be a pinnacle; from Dunn, it allows the reader to glimpse the distance he has traveled in his abilites and the possibilities open to him in the future.

Colette Inez is probably one of the best poets I've ever read. She doesn't dwell too much on fancy analogies or metaphors to get her feelings and messages across to her readers. This book is also incredibly brave because she talks about her parents' illicit affair, her mother's abandonment, and her search for identity. Oh, each poem is so beautifully written. I must add that she is fantastic in person and a must-see. I just hope that she prints something new soon. You just can't get enough of her.

Mary Ruefle maintains a solid balance on the cusp between avant-garde & formal. These poems are dynamic & very special to know right now.

Never has there been a book that so perfectly described Carnegie Mellon. This book was so right on about CMU it was frightening. I am currently a Junior at Carnegie Mellon and I got my hands on the CollegeProwler guide to this school. I wish I could have had a resource like this when I was choosing schools. The book answered all questions and was dead on accurate. I would reccomend this book to anyone who wants the truth on college.

Robert Thomas writes the best persona poems since Norman Dubie, and that's saying a lot. He has the most amazing sense of pacing, and knows how to great emotional tension in these narrative poems. He writes beautifully about the complexities of long-term love. Every poem in the book shines. A great follow up to Door to Door. Buy the book!

This poetry is the art of understatement; it is not the rock crashing into the water, but the rings that rock gives off.

I've just been re-reading this wonderful book. Does anyone combine high emotion and honest restraint in the elegy as well as C.D. Wright? She has a knack for recording with an animating sadness the passing of the present moment. This sorrow is one of her central subjects: How we are suddenly ecstatic with the gift of unexpected pleasure, no matter how small it may seem to someone else, how we recognize the gift, how that recognition eradicates its charge, and how we're left holding the warm half-drunk bottle of beer late at night trying to hold on to the instant, knowing this after-the-fact memory is the best we can do... Like several other poets lately - Bruce Smith, Susan Mitchell, Norman Dubie, Bob Hass - Wright makes me want to write my own versions...

Jean Valentine is one of the greatest and most under appreciated poets of our time. She has won countless awards for her writing, which dares to subtly explore the dreamscape and the spirit. Her poems are exact and beautiful. This book will force you to think and inspire you to write.