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Monday, August 27, 2012

Invitation to poetry

Though sailing through hundreds of assigned books this summer, I sometimes miss a more aimless kind of reading--a reading that has no mandated goal but to wander and occasionally be seized. Most of the books I'm reading now are novels, and I'm thinking about how I'd like to read more poetry.

I came home from the West Chester Poetry Conference with a sack of books by my panelists and others. In the fall I will have more time for those.

But if anybody has a new(ish) poetry collection or long poem they'd like to recommend, please note it in the comments, and leave a snip or a poem if you have the energy and can find the book--always my problem, books being so good at camouflage.

If you are a poet, feel free to recommend your own book as well. (Please leave a sample!) And if you are an editor of a 'zine or journal, feel free to recommend as well.

15 comments:

  1. Here is a new poet (to me) that I have really enjoyed reading-

    http://www.amazon.com/Hallelujah-Voices-Marsha-Mathews/dp/0615662641/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344103348&sr=8-1&keywords=marsha+mathews

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  2. Marsha Mathews
    Hallelujah Voices is a collection of narrative poems that tell stories in the voices of churchgoing folk from Southern Appalachia, people the author knew or could have known during her time serving as a "lady pastor" in the '90s.

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  3. I'll recommend a friend's debut collection:

    http://minorarcanapress.com/skinjob

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  4. Melanie McCabe's first book is coming out September 1st - her work is wonderful. Here are two links that give more info about Melanie and the book:

    http://www.davidrobertbooks.com/mccabe.html

    https://www.facebook.com/#!/melaniemccabepoetry

    Check it out :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chris,
    Here's another hotlink. I'm not sure if it'll work for everybody unless she has a "public" setting enabled, but definitely for facebook members who are signed in:

    Melanie McCabe at facebook

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks so much, Marly - those hotlinks make it all easier! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. You're welcome, Chris--and good luck to her!

    Here's how to hot link for anybody who wants to try:

    Hot Linking

    ReplyDelete
  8. Delightful recommendations Marly.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Robbi's new chapbook, as reviewed by poet Rachel Barenblat, HERE

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  10. Here is an unpublished poem by Geneen Marie Haugen that has been growing legs and walking around on its own. I received it from a friend and poet, and later while I was researching it, found it on a blog (see link) as well as someone's random facebook page. With the poet's permission, I referenced it in an art piece recently. She was pleased yet mystified as to how it's been traveling. How apropos, given the subject! When you follow this link, scroll down for the poem - there's a problem with the code on the page. It breaks up in the middle of the poem and leaves a large empty space, but you MUST scroll down and read all the way to the end. (to "tremulous wings") It's the best part of course. Here is "The Return" by Geneen Marie Haugen

    http://www.themonsterinyourhead.com/2010/01/26/%E2%80%9Csome-day-if-you-are-lucky%E2%80%A6%E2%80%9D/

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Alas, I must once again remind large numbers of Chinese salesmen and other worldwide peddlers that if they fall into the Gulf of Spam, they will be eaten by roaming Balrogs. The rest of you, lovers of grace, poetry, and horses (nod to Yeats--you do not have to be fond of horses), feel free to leave fascinating missives and curious arguments.