Blogcritics Category: Books: Poetry

Book Review: Magellenica by Justin Lowe

Maggie Ball — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:53:44 EST

As a portrait of a post-WWI veteran, cricket at its most exciting period in Australia, and 1920�s Sydney, Magellenica is a lovely, evocative book.
The verse novel is a tricky form to master. It requires combining the power of story and its narrative progression, with the instant impact of poetry. Another complexity is trying to keep track of who’s talking, and all of the normal complications of a standard novel such as setting, and time sequencing, without losing the flow and power of...

Book Review: Human Landscapes From My Country - An Epic Novel In Verse By Nazim Hakmet

Richard Marcus — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:07:12 EST

Hikmet has created a panoramic view of Turkey and her people.
Epic poems were things they used to write in the olden days to record the deeds of heroes and recount the histories of earth shattering events. They most definitely were never about the likes of you and me, nor did they bother themselves with the minutiae of everyday life. Even if they ever did talk about lessor mortals, they were written in...

Book Review: This is the Feast by Diane Z. Shore

Jennifer Bogart — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 17:03:04 EST

Limited to one children's title exploring the history and celebration of Thanksgiving? Make it this one.
Opening with images of the Mayflower sailing across the ocean, This is the Feast guides young readers through the arrival of the Pilgrims in America and culminates with the first Thanksgiving. Simple rhyming text paired with light-filled illustrations brings the history of this time-honoured tradition to life. Written for 4 – 8-year-olds,...

Interview: John Trudell, Poet and Songwriter - An Un-Mined Mind!

Richard Marcus — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 16:34:49 EST

Thought is energy, and when you take energy away from humans we're flat - we're mined out.
Industrial tech no logic civilization is the mining processThe intelligence of each arriving human generationIs programmed to perceive the reality that meets the needsOf the industrial society each human generation arrive inThe human beings are individually and collectively mined... John Trudell; "Somewhere Inside My Head"; Lines From A...

Music Review: Shahrokh Yadegari, Azam Ali, And Keyayash Nourai - Green Memories

Richard Marcus — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:52:44 EDT

An intriguing and compelling piece of music of surprising emotional depth and passion.
In 1980, a new wall went up between two worlds, and although it wasn't a physical barrier like the one splitting Berlin in half, over the years it has just as successfully cut the West off from Iran as if it were an actual presence. The fall of the American backed Shah of Iran, the takeover of the American Embassy in that country, and the...

Book Review: When God Created My Toes and God Loves Me More Than That by Dandi Daley Mackall

Jennifer Bogart — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:45:22 EDT

The Dandilion Rhymes series captures the joy of the Lord through rhyming verse and motion-filled illustrations for young readers.
Dandilion Rhymes is a series of books written by Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by David Hohn for 4-8 year olds . The series forms a collection of poetry for all families that worship the Lord, adding a new poem that celebrates God with each book.Inspired by Psalm 139 of the Bible, When God Created My Toes tells the story of a little girl who...

Interview with Rose DesRochers, Founder of Todays-Woman.net

Mayra Calvani — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:13:50 EDT

"I changed my mind and decided it would be a friendship community for both men and women."
Rose DesRochers is the founder of Today's Woman, a site catering to writers -- both men and women -- of all levels and genres, including poetry. The site features articles, stories and interviews and also publishes press releases. It also has a forum for writers to share ideas and promote their work. In this interview, DesRochers talks about...

Book Review: Postcards from the Asylum by Karen Knight

Maggie Ball — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:55:27 EDT

It�s intense, sometimes terrifying, and sometimes exuberant, but never does the work become despairing.
Karen Knight is one of Australia's most respected poets. She's won a wide number of awards and grants, and has been a writer in residence both in Australia and overseas. Her previous poetry book, Under the One Granite Roof, took on the subject matter of Walt Whitman's period on the battlefield during the U.S. Civil War. Her latest...

Book Review: Magisterium by Joel Deane

Maggie Ball — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:22:00 EDT

This is poetry written at the limits of what our language can do; without sacrificing accessibility.
It’s hard to pinpoint the power in Joel Deane’s Magisterium. Perhaps it’s the duality between the intuitive, interiority and the strong authoritative, apocalyptic voices that guide these poems. They are at once powerful and booming, yet muted at the same time. The tension created by this conflict is effective, bringing the reader...

Book Review - Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat edited by Nikki Giovanni

Gina Ruiz — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:59:29 EDT

A marvelous book and CD set.
Stories in Rhythm. Operatic vernacular. Poetry with a beat. Call and Response. One part story and one part rhythm. These are some of the terms the poet Nikki Giovanni uses to describe Hip Hop in her marvelous introduction to this astounding and beautiful book, Hip Hop Speaks to Children. Really? Opera? Read on, because Giovanni enlightens,...