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Daily commentary on poetry, writing, poetics, and what is going on in the literary world.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'poetry reviews'
Three New Book Reviews
Have you seen World Class Poetry’s new book reviews? Last week we published two and just today we published a third. Synopses of the reviews follow: Warhorses – Pulitzer Prize-winner Yusef Komunyakaa’s latest book, tackling the issu...
A Great Book For Reluctant Poetry Readers
Reluctant poetry readers often feel intimidated with talk of poetics. All that talk about extended metaphors, trochees, and enjambed feminine endings can get confusing. So why bother? Alice B. Fogel, herself a widely published poet, has written one o...
Poems For The Utopian Nihilist
When I was a young rebellious man (as opposed to now being an old rebellious man) I thought it crafty to take two opposing ideas and juxtapose them by melding them into one phrase that on the surface appeared to be a contradiction, an oxymoron. Examp...
Tin House Books Presents …
Satellite Convulsions: Poetry From Tin House Tin House Magazine debuted in 1999. Since then it has been a powerhouse of postmodern poetry while making inroads into a new era. Frankly, I think we’ve moved beyond the postmodern, but some postmode...
From The Trenches: WCP Adds Social Networking Features
Thanks to reader Gary Fitzgerald for pointing me to a website called It’s JUST War. Read poems, watch videos, and hang out a while. Be sure to read Gary’s four poems on the Vietnam War posted on September 2, 2008. Powerful stuff. On anoth...
The Poetry Madam Invites You To Come To Poetry Brothel
What would you expect to find at a poetry brothel? What would you expect to pay? If $15 sounds like a good deal then you might want to head to New York and talk to the Poetry Madam. Because that’s a damn good deal. I once paid $20 for a “...
2 New Poetry Reviews (And One On The Way)
Geez, I’ve been busier than Satan at a church meeting. That’s why you haven’t seen many posts lately. It’s just frickin’ hard raising three children below the age of 7 and maintaining a full-time business. I need a sidek...
Book Review: Fumbling In The Light
New book review at World Class Poetry: Publisher-poet Sidney Hall Jr., owner of Hobblebush Books has released Fumbling In The Light. Read the World Class Poetry review here. ____________________________________________________________...
Review: History’s Twists: The Armenians
If you like poetry that informs and enlightens then you’ll like Helene Pilibosian’s History’s Twists: The Armenians. Pilibosian writes well-crafted technical, if there is such a term, Postmodern poetry. The biggest problem I have w...
Reginald Shepherd’s Itinerary: A Chapbook For A New Millennium
I received a copy of Itinerary by the late Reginald Shepherd, compliments of John Gallaher. It is not often that I read through an entire work of a poet, even a small one, and marvel. Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of reading certain Regi...
Review Of Rattle Conversations By Alan Fox
If you thought this post was going to be a review of a book of poems, well sorry to disappoint you. Rattle Conversations is actually a book of interviews with poets. But you won’t read the review here either. This is the introduction. I’l...
New Poetry Reviews, Including Ted Kooser’s Home Repair Kit
I’d love to write on the urgent topic, 21st century epic narratives, which I’ve been planning for a few days now, but it’s going on pretty late and I’ve still got to put Hyperbole together. I’ll have to put the epic narr...
A Few Poetry Links You’ll Like
Here’s a good review. And it makes me want to read the book. Introduction to sci-fi poetry. The Wergle Flomp winner. PoemTalk (John Ashbery) __________________________________________________________________________ Wo...
More Poetry Rules, Critical Dichotomies, And Your Own Style
How to develop your own poetic style. Who’s your favorite virgin? Deborah Ager’s unwritten poetry rules. I like Nos. 1 & 2, and have always obeyed No. 2. Diane Lockward’s. I like 7, 11, and 12, but I think No. 4 is quickly beco...
11 Mistakes Poets Make When Seeking Book Reviews
We all seek praise for our work, but sometimes praise is too much to ask for. When seeking book reviews it is important to be gracious and courteous while presenting your book in the best possible light without being pushy. Here are several mistakes ...
My Book Review Reading List
Thanks to Diane Lockward for her list of poetry journals that read submissions during the summer. It’s a three-part list here, here, and here. The newest member of the World Class Poetry Toolbar family is Mannequin Envy. Books waiting in the cu...
Two New Book Reviews
One of the lessons in publishing is in choosing the right cover for your book. I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but who doesn’t? In fact, a cover says a lot about what one might expect once you’ve climbed ins...
Ezra Pound On Happy Pills
William Logan is at it again. This time, a review of Frank O’Hara. The funniest line in the whole review: The selection is not perfect; Ford has included a grindingly self-conscious play as well as two long poems almost unreadable now, full of...
Mixed Reviews Are Hard To Write
I just posted my review of Brian Turner’s Here, Bullet. It was the most difficult review I’ve had to write so far. My initial reaction, some readers will know, was quite negative. But I’m afraid it was overly harsh. There are a lot ...
Why Does Bradley Lastname Write Like That?
I just recently posted a new book review at World Class Poetry. As you’ll see, I have a mixed reaction to Bradley Lastname’s brand of Dada verse. Some of it is quite good, actually, for word play. And if you know anything about me, I like...
Why We Need Negative Reviews
Andy Grace asked on The Kenyon Review Blog, When was the last time you read a truly scathing review of a book of poetry? It’s a good question. I think, first and foremost, a review should be honest. Scathing if necessary, but honest. Grace goe...
What Do Ron Silliman And Slate Magazine Have In Common?
Tomorrow is Memorial Day here in the U.S. and I’ll be taking the day off. So no blog post. Meanwhile, a review of Sam Hamill’s Measured By Stone. Speaking of which, what do Rattle reviews, Belinda Subraman, WGLT Poetry Radio, American Bl...
