Books

Average customer rating:

Wonderful introduction to poetry
Fun Book!
Quite a kick
Excellent for teaching poetry
*JANECZKO WILL SHAKE YOU OUT OF YOUR DOLDRUMS*

A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms (Ala Notable Children's Books. Middle Readers)

Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems
Please Bury Me in the Library
Fold Me a Poem
Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme
Technically, It's Not My Fault: Concrete Poems

ASIN: 0763606626
Release Date: 2005-03-03

Book Description

From the simplest couplet to the mind-boggling pantoum, the award-winning team behind A POKE IN THE I shows us the many fascinating ways poetic forms take shape.

Please
Open this book for something
Extraordinary.
Twenty-nine different poetic forms await you
Inside these pages. How many
Can you master?

From sonnets to double dactyls,
Odes to limericks—
Raschka and Janeczko (and a frisky mule)
Make learning the rules of poetry
So much fun!

In this splendid and playful volume, acclaimed poetry anthologist Paul B. Janeczko and Caldecott Honor illustrator Chris Raschka present lively examples of twenty-nine poetic forms, demonstrating not only the (sometimes bendable) rules of poetry, but also the spirit that brings these forms so wonderfully to life. Featuring formal poems, some familiar and some never before published, from the likes of Eleanor Farjeon (aubade), X. J. Kennedy (elegy), Ogden Nash (couplet), Liz Rosenberg (pantoum), and William Shakespeare, the sonnet king himself, A KICK IN THE HEAD perfectly illustrates Robert Frost's maxim that poetry without rules is like a tennis match without a net.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful introduction to poetry.......2007-06-10

I bought this book for the children's section of my library. My niece loves it! It has sparked her interest in poetry so much that she is not only writing her own using the rules taught in the book for each form but she is also seeking out forms not included in the book! She has discovered that Tyger Tyger by William Blake is her favorite poem. I could not be more pleased with this book.

Fun Book!.......2006-11-04

This book was a lot of fun to read to my students and really helped conjure up some creativity in them!

Quite a kick.......2006-04-14

Every year Poetry Month comes along and every year there are children's librarians like myself who shudder at its approach. Poetry. It's not something that every person in the world is going to appreciate right off the bat. So, if you're like myself, you get out a bunch of poetry books, put them in an area labeled "POETRY MONTH SELECTIONS" and then desperately search the internet for further poetry-related activities you can hold in your branch. This year I decided I'd try to do some poetry with the homeschooler bookgroup I run. What I really wanted was to show the kids lots of books with different kinds of poetic styles in them. A collection of poetic forms, if you will. I couldn't find anything perfect, however, so I just chalked it up to there being too few useful poetry books for kids in this world. Then I attended the Children's Book Committee annual breakfast at the Bank Street College of Education. And the winner of the 2005 Claudia Lewis Award, as it happened, was "A Kick In the Head", as selected by Paul B. Janeczko. I was curious so I picked it up. And right then and there it hit me that THIS was the book I'd been so desperately searching for all this time. It's a truly interesting collection of poetic forms done in such a way that kids will not only understand them, but want to write some of their own. After I recovered from the shock I returned to my library and sure enough, lo and behold, there was the book sitting perkily on my shelf where it had always been. So parents, educators, and librarians, heed my warning. Discover "A Kick In the Head" for your own Poetry Months before it's too late. Don't make the same mistake I did.

The book contains twenty-nine different poetic forms. Everything from your basic haikus and limericks to triolets, aubades, and pantoums. There are blues poems and clerihews, and even the rare riddle poem or two. Janeczko has culled the most amusing and child-friendly versions of these forms possible, and it works. For example, take the villanelle. You might not think it lends itself naturally to a child's reading, but then you see how cleverly Joan Bransfield Graham has created, "Is There a Villain In Your Villanelle?". And into this lively jumble we throw Chris Raschka's brightly colored mixed-media extravaganza. The result is a high-energy introduction to poetry in all its wild and wooly forms. A lovely amalgamation to say the least.

None of this is to say that there wasn't an odd choice or two. For the "found poem", Janeczko reprints Georgia Heard's, "The Paper Trail". The poem is a beautiful list of different kinds of writing, and it soon becomes clear that these are the scraps of paper and floated to the ground when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11. No mention of 9/11 is ever made, but you'd have to be pretty dense not to get the St. Paul's Cathedral reference. Fans of that old Cat Stevens song, "Morning Has Broken", will see it listed under the "aubade" section. And I, for one, had no idea that poem/song was written originally by classic children's author Eleanor Farjeon. Go figure.

I'm not normally a Raschka fan, by the way. Something about his images, I find off-putting. But I did enjoy a lot of what the artist decided to do here. For the "senryu" poem, for example, he was able to construct a month old cheese sandwich using only paper fibers of various orange, yellow, green (bleck!), and cream-colored shades. And if you think he had an easy job of this book then YOU try making an illustration for Shakespeare's "Sonnet Number Twelve". Even worse, make a picture for a poem imitating "Sonnet Number Twelve". It's doubly hard. So a tip of the hat to Raschka's efforts.

Now people are going to wonder what ages to hand this book to. I say, all. Obviously some of the poems, like the sonnets, aren't going to charm very small ones. But kids who like silly limericks or tankas that begin with words like, "Fish guts" will find their favorites in this selection. As for older kids, this book is useful well into high school. At that point the students will start appreciating the difficulty behind some of the more elaborate poems. A lovely addition to every library and I dare say a necessary one. No poetry section is complete without this book.

Excellent for teaching poetry.......2006-02-25

This book is a wonderful tool if you are teaching poetry. It describes many different types of poetry with an example and a simple explanation. Very colorful pictures.

*JANECZKO WILL SHAKE YOU OUT OF YOUR DOLDRUMS*.......2006-02-24

Paul Janeczko compiled this "Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms" with wonderful "asides" and editorial descriptions. It is definitely not "everyday-ish" /or/ for children only. The book is an absolute delight - and an eye-opener. OR, perhaps I should say *ear-opener* because all the sounds of these examples make music /or/ nonsense /or/ possibly dissonance. If you are, or have ever been an editor, read the epitaph on p.40!

I've asked myself why this wasn't an alternate text in English Lit 101. (Obviously because it wasn't published that long ago.) Janeczko introduces us to twenty-nine forms of poetry, and divulges that poets don't always follow the rules. There are some really tricky forms (see ROUNDEL p. 22 & DOUBLE DACTYL p.25). The latter has an outstanding example by John Hollander, especially appropriate in February, the month of Presidential obeisance. It reveals that our 23rd President, a Hoosier :~) "didn't do much"? This is a book of lots & lots of smiles that call for sharing. The wildly unrestrained, splashy colors combine with collage for illustrations that are great fun. Artist Chris Raschka also illuminated the 2006 Caldecott medal-winning book. (isbn:076809140)

As a writer of haiku & similar forms, Reviewer mcHAIKU found pages 14 - 18 of special interest. I never encountered haiku, senryu (which the author calls "HAIKU WITH AN ATTITUDE"), tanka or cinquain during my 'deprived' childhood but am happy now to make up for lost time.

"This Book delights me: / It is dandelions puffed, / laughter loudly shared . . ."

Not Everyday an Aurora Borealis For Your Birthday: A Love Poem

Average customer rating:

Not Everyday a Book Like This
Pure and amazing.
The Most Beautiful Book I've ever read.

Not Everyday an Aurora Borealis For Your Birthday: A Love Poem
Carl Sandburg
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Book Description

"It is because I love you I give you for your birthday present the aurora borealis" begins this never-before-published poem by quintessential American poet Carl Sandburg. The brief text, designed with the air of a turn-of-the-century love letter, tells of a lovestruck young man who struggles to bring the "shimmering swimmering" northern lights to the front porch of his beloved. This stylish valentine for all seasons is luminously illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Anita Lobel who lights up the sky in colors and images that dance on the page. In a style suggestive of Georgia O'Keeffe's, Lobel has created a picturebook tour de force that speaks to all ages. Handsomely formatted, complete with a pink satin ribbon bookmark, it is a beautiful testimony to the power of love and an elegant way to say "I love you" any day of the year.

Customer Reviews:

Not Everyday a Book Like This.......2001-11-19

Right from the start this book is one of those that just feels good in the hand. A thin aesthetically pleasing little volume it has a red satin ribbon to mark your place and a brightly colored huge red heart invites you inside from the front cover. The text is a love poem by the great Carl Sandburg that has never before been published. The pictures are by Anita Lobel and they are filled with glad, warm-hearted images and colors.
A young man goes to "where the aurora borealises grow" and brings home a beautiful speciman for his true love's birthday. The enchanting swirls of color actually do quite well at depicting the essence of the aurora borealis and its mysterious, magical light show. I know, because the northern lights were swirling in the skies over my home just a few nights ago and Lobel captured the feeling just perfectly.
We follow the young man's struggle to find and bring the aurora borealis to his love and we believe that his feelings are so strong that he really can do anything for his love that he sets his heart on doing. He offers to bring her more aurora borealises or even a rainbow if she would like. This poetical man is letting her know that he will always work hard for her and struggle through life with her which is something a young woman may hope for, but this clever man has found a beautiful and romantic way to say it. His sensitivity to her need for beauty and abundance is the endearing point of the colorful promises he makes in this story.
I treasure this book and I think it makes a wonderful gift for anyone you love, especially yourself.

Pure and amazing........2000-02-11

I'm an avid reader of all sorts of novels. I've read 'em with thousands of pages, but none of them have ever moved me as much as this little book did. Both the poem and the illustration have a magical, enchanting quality to them. Buy it for yourself or as a gift. It's well worth the money.

The Most Beautiful Book I've ever read........1999-05-27

This book is so amazing that when i picked it up in the store and started reading it, i began to cry right there in the shop. i've never experienced that sort of thing in before. i bouth the book right there on the spot with money i had ear-marked for something else. It is just a really simple, really beautiful poem about love with wonderful illustrations. It makes a beautiful present for a child or even a sweetheart.

Average customer rating:

Highly recommended for school and community libraries

Poetry Of Everyday Life, The
Ronni Baer , Franz Hals , Jacob van Ruisdael , Balthasar van der Ast , Jan van der Heyden , and Re Rembrandt
Manufacturer: MFA Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Private | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0878466452
Release Date: 2003-01-02

Book Description

Now in Paperback Tradition has it that the young American republic had a natural affinity with the 17th-century Dutch oligarchy--they shared concepts of democracy, religious freedom, the rise of the middle class, and a protestant work ethic. Bostonians from the 18th century to the present have turned this affinity into a passion for collecting Dutch painting. Landscapes that capture the subtleties of southern light, cityscapes and church interiors, seascapes, portraits, genre scenes, and still lifes are among the humble, precious, everyday subjects that have appealed to them. This book traces the history of Boston's remarkable collection of Dutch painting, including little-known works by Rembrandt, Balthasar van der Ast, Jan van der Heyden, and Jacob van Ruisdael, bringing together works from private collections usually seen only in their owner's homes.

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended for school and community libraries.......2002-09-06

The Poetry Of Everyday Life: Dutch Painting In Boston by 17th Century Dutch and Felmish art specialist Ronni Baer (Mrs. Russell W. Baker Senior Curator of Painting in the Art of Europe at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) was produced to accompany the exhibition currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts showcasing and celebrating the longstanding relationship between the Boston gentry and the 17th Century Dutch masters. The Dutch painting style of the times was visually both physical and moral -- traits that had a strong appeal for the early Bostonian upper classes and reflects a surprising collection of works that have rarely, if ever, been seen by the general public. Collectors have lent their prized paintings to the exhibition and made them available for reproduction and expert commentary in The Poetry Of Everyday Life. Here are masterworks by Rembrandt, van der Heyden, van Ruisdael, and many others making The Poetry Of Everyday Life an invaluable addition to any personal Art History collection. Highly recommended for school and community libraries, The Poetry Of Everyday Life is also available in a hardcover edition (0878466312, $40.00).

Creeds of Life, Love, & Inspiration: A Guidebook of Everyday Wisdom & Thought (Inspiration)

Average customer rating:

Heart warming
Wonderful for Relaxing and Reflecting

Creeds of Life, Love, & Inspiration: A Guidebook of Everyday Wisdom & Thought (Inspiration)

Manufacturer: Blue Mountain Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Quotations | Reference | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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The Language of Courage and Inner Strength: A Wonderful Gift of Inspiring Thoughts
The Language of Positive Thinking: A Blue Mountain Arts Collection (More Titles to Encourage Dreams)
Always Believe in Yourself and Your Dreams: A Collections of Poems (Self-Help & Recovery)
The Language of Success ("Language of ... " Series)
Take Each Day One Step at a Time: Poems to Inspire and Encourage the Journey to Recovery (Blue Mountain Arts Collection)

ASIN: 0883965208

Book Description

"This life is yours… Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well." - Susan Polis Schutz

"Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart." - Nancye Sims

"Take time to dream -- it is hitching your wagon to a star." - Old Irish Prayer

This thoughtful Blue Mountain Arts collection gathers together poetry, quotations, and writings by a broad range of contemporary and classical authors, poets, and philosophers.

This is a book that you will want to keep for a long time because it is filled with the kinds of encouraging thoughts you will want to read again and again. There are guiding insights to inspire fulfillment, serenity, and happiness in life... heartwarming sentiments that capture the true meaning of love, faith, and friendship... positive messages for those times when doubts and uncertainties enter into life... and gentle reminders of all there is in this world to be thankful for.

As a gift or personal keepsake, CREEDS OF LIFE, LOVE, & INSPIRATION is a wonderful resource for anyone who believes in and strives for a better, brighter tomorrow.

Customer Reviews:

Heart warming.......2002-10-24

I found this book to be very good. I enjoyed the first time, I read it and I am enjoying it again. If you love poetry and different quotes then you will love this book. I too, wish that it was hardcover because the binding becomes worn after several readings of it.

Wonderful for Relaxing and Reflecting.......2002-04-14

This compilation of poems and lyrical writings is wonderful for time spent in reflection or relaxation. I purchased this book because it contains a reading that my future husband and I will have read at our upcoming wedding. The reading, by Douglas Pagels, "May You Always Have an Angel by Your Side" was at the beginning of the book and is perfect for our special day. Much of the book continues in this spirit. Many wonderful writers have been collected here such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and E.E. Cummings. There are also some surprising entries such as the one from Dolly Parton. The cover and inside pages have beautiful watercolor and other media paintings. This book gives many life lessons and a few of my favorite are titled "Believe in Yourself" and "May You Always Feel Loved". There are also some excellent untitled pieces. The only disappointing thing about this book is that it does have a firm paperback cover and I wish it had a hard cover front and back. Overall, a wonderful read that will be picked up from time to time to glean a thoughtful word from.

I Smell Something Foul: Haiku Expressions of Everyday Angst

Average customer rating:

Hilarious! It's like Seinfeld in three short lines!
Funny and highly recommended.

I Smell Something Foul: Haiku Expressions of Everyday Angst
Alison Herschberg
Manufacturer: Andrews Mcmeel Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Parodies | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Japanese & Haiku | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious! It's like Seinfeld in three short lines!.......1998-01-14

Ms. Herschberg somehow manages to capture all the humor in some of the most mundane daily activities that we all find ourselves doing, at one time or another. SHe must take copious notes on her life, because she really captures the essence of what it means to live every moment.

Funny and highly recommended........1998-01-09

This is a book that people who hate poetry will love. Hirschberg's Haiku covers a variety of modern topics, usually with a funny or sarcastic twist. I laughed until tears rolled down my face. You will not put this book down until you have finished it!

Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes

Average customer rating:

Wonderful poems about "real heroes"
Entertaining and Educational

Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes
J. Patrick Lewis , and Jim Cooke
Manufacturer: Dial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Please Bury Me in the Library
Monumental Verses
Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science
Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape
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ASIN: 0803729251

Book Description

Twenty-one entertaining, thought-provoking poems chronicle the good that people have done in service of others. Bypassing those of mere fame, this striking collection is a celebration of such persons as Gandhi, Rosa Parks, teachers, a thirteen-year-old child-labor crusader, firefighters, Cesar Chavez, a feisty nun, and:
. . . the valiant and the brave.
Those simple people known by
Two simple words: They gave.
Each portrait includes an expressive illustration and additional factual material, and an eloquent afterword tells of Mr. Lewis's own childhood hero. This memorable book invites readers to explore the legacy of human generosity which lights the path for tomorrow's heroes.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful poems about "real heroes".......2006-01-14

Beautifully illustrated poems about the real heroes and she-roes you meet in life; past, present and inspiring for the future. The poems are lighthearted and the illustrations have an everyday twist. A good way to inspire children to emulate qualities heroes and she-roes possess.

Entertaining and Educational.......2005-05-12

I was delighted to come across Heroes and She-roes. This book cleverly introduces children to many of the most inspiring characters from history and today using poetry to tell their stories. Greats like Joan of Arc, Gandhi, and Rosa Parks are covered along with heroes and she-roes children will recognize from today such as firemen and teachers. The beautiful illustrations throughout make these figures come alive, and the poetry format is an excellent tool for helping kids learn and remember the significance of the characters. This book would be a great addition to any home or classroom.

An American Mosaic: Prose and Poetry by Everyday Folk

Average customer rating:

The Voices From Under the Bridge
"Voices of Intriguing Characters"
American Mozaic Has real relivance
GSB Student Review
A must read for any true American

An American Mosaic: Prose and Poetry by Everyday Folk

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Jump Start: How to Write From Everyday Life

ASIN: 0195127129

Book Description

From Walt Whitman's catalog of America to Thomas Hart Benton's American epics painted on walls across the country to Studs Terkel's documentaries, much artistic and literary labor has stemmed from the urge to figure out what makes this country tick. Any attempt at so large a canvas as this disparate country will be fragmented and incomplete, but like Benton's 1932 mural "American Today", American Mosaic is composed of pieces that taken together provide a vivid look at vanishing scenes of American life. Here, Robert Wolf offers a collective autobiography of the American heartland written for the most part by everyday men and women without literary ambition. Focusing on the second half of the twentieth century, this collection of essays, short stories, poems, and memoirs--woven together with Wolf's introductory notes--is the culmination of nine years of Free River Press writing workshops conducted by Wolf for the purpose of documenting contemporary American life. The volume includes work from homeless men and women from Tennessee, small farmers in rural Iowa, residents of Midwestern small towns, the Mississippi Delta, and river communities on the Mississippi. These first-person, eyewitness accounts offer glimpses of daily life: the farmers' struggles against large corporations; poetic meditations on life in the streets, on the road, and in prison; tall tales of river town saloons; and the social rituals of cooking, town hall and party phone lines across America's small towns. Among many narratives, American Mosaic gives us the ruminations of a homeless woman over a martini in El Gilbert's poem "Drunk," descriptions of hearty, communal meals during the July harvest in Clara Leppert's piece "Meals for Threshers," a picture of the goings-on in a West Helena, Arkansas juke joint with Chris Crawford's essay "Lucky Lacey," and the reminiscences of a former Mississippi River towboat captain in Jack Libby's "The Midnight Watch Change." Together, these diverse stories comprise panels of a literary mural of America. American Mosaic is a compelling testament to regional and local American voices and folkways which are fast disappearing through the relentless push towards a global economy and culture.

Customer Reviews:

The Voices From Under the Bridge.......2002-01-26

Wolf's signature contribution to American Letters is that he records the voices overlooked by the vast majority of literary scholars. The custom of literature professors is to read and teach only the titles that appear on the best sellers list.

An American Mosaic: Prose and Poetry by Everyday Folks validates the voices from under the bridge. The homeless, prison inmates and Delta characters have no concept of first printing, publicity tours and critical reviews. Their voices accurately describe the deep currents of American life where real people are trying to keep their heads above water as they are swept along to an unknown American destiny.

As a reader, the selections are immediately accessible to all students who hear the ring of truth as the voices of farmers and rural residents cascade downstream in the American experience. Because the poems and prose pieces were not written to capture a share of the vast reader's market, the untrained authors write authentically as if they are in private conversation with real folks.

American Mosaic is also a great anthology for high school and college writing classes because students can easily pattern the natural rhythmns and tones of everyday people. American Mosaic's authors are not celebrities, many are not even good writers. Yet what they have written carries a valid reporting of real life. As one student blurted out, "I go to a church exactly like the one in "Church House Blues.

An American Mosaic is a must read and teach for writing and literature teachers desperate to find a text that a diverse student population can relate to. Bob Wolf has captured the very voice of Americans...Americans looking for an anchor in a safe harbor,

Joseph W. Warren, PhD
English Department
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI 49104

"Voices of Intriguing Characters".......2002-01-25

Robert Wolf, editor of American Mosaic, a wonderful collection of poetry, prose, short stories, essays and commentaries by ordinary people whose wisdom and grace are eaily ignored in contemporary American intellectual life, believes that anyone who can tell a story can write one. To prove his point, Wolf has undertaken a life's work of itinerant writing workshops, going to and settling in with people whose stories illuminate the vitality and struggles of daily life in small towns in rural Iowa, the Mississippi Delta, and river communities along the Mississippi from Iowa to Louisiana. Just as David Isay's and Stacy Abramson's powerful "Sound Portraits" on National Public Radio have given voice to a disparate array of unexpected and intriguing characters, Wolf's writing workshops produce first-person accounts of what it means to be an American--accounts which permit readers to escape the stereotypical portraits of the homeless, the rural poor, and the hidden denizens of small towns in America too frequently proffered by our mass media as truthful representations of American folksiness.
"Fragmentation, I have often thought, is the driving force of our time," writes Wolf in one of his commentaries in American Mosaic, "far more powerful than any integrating force." As Executive Director of Free River Press, the sponsor of these writing workshops which produced the book, Wolf has responded to his own critique by making the effort to bring people together, integrating their stories, rituals, and struggles with the sensibilities of readers who may never meet the people who grow the food for our tables, but through American Mosaic are given the opportunity to acknowledge their dignity, courage, and integrity.

American Mozaic Has real relivance.......2000-01-19

American Mozaic is an interesting collection of storys from every day people around america. These storys although in some cases dull enlighten the average american on the hopes and plights of other working class americans. It is a book that has real relivance in todays society. We tend to get caught up in the glamorous and not so glamorous lives of media stars and forget that the country is really kept running by the american worker. This book shows in more ways then one, that the guy who runs the ice cream stand down the street is just as relivant and important in todays society as the bank teller that puts your pay check in your account every month. This is an important book to read if you feel you are starting to loose touch with america and americans today.

GSB Student Review.......2000-01-10

After reading American Mosaic in my 20th Century Documentary Studies class, it made me realize how very different our society today is from the past. I enjoyed hearing about the way people just spontaneously picked up and traveled across America. Today, this would be something that would be very hard because of many issues; work, family, money, and most of all the citizens of the US. The things that these travelers experienced are wonderful things to read and think about. Wolf wonderfully portrays the American working man in his habitat. All of the stories are true, and told by real people. This makes the book even more interesting to know that all of the events really did happen. From accounts told by homeless people, to poems written by former inmates, this book covers the many different views and thoughts of American life. This book could easily bring back the memories of a person that lived through those times. Robert Wolf started this book when he ran a writing workshop, MATTHEW 25. Located on the corner of 8th Street and Broadway, it was the ideal place to view the life on the streets. This workshop in downtown Nashville was made for homeless writers to let their thoughts fly. After 2 years the workshop closed, but Wolf was left with wonderful memories and some excellent literature and prose.

A must read for any true American.......2000-01-08

An American Mosaic, by Robert Wolf, is a collection of various writings through which the author attempts to document the lives of contemporary Americans. Wolf brings together stories of farmers, the homeless, residents of small towns, and people of urban towns. This book is composed of different poems, memoirs, essays, and short stories that, taken together, provide a vivid look at vanishing scenes of American life. There are stories, which relate to a farmer's life such as Greg Welsh's The Way Back. As Edward Albee states, "sometimes you have to go a long distance out of your way to come back a short distance correctly."(p123) In some ways, the reader feels as if he is in the actual scene with the writer. The readings help the imagination expand and makes one realize how many Americans there are in the world about whom not a thought was given. An American Mosaic consists of stories, which make one sit back and say, "I would love to do what that American does." In Wayne Leonard's The Right Road (p47) this statement comes true. It is not only a story which makes you feel completely free, but it also makes you want to do something for yourself and feel as good about it as Leonard did. These autobiographies of the American heartland were written by everyday people without literary ambition. This makes it easier to relate to the writers. No matter what the reader's profession, gender, or age, he/she will be able to comprehend An American Mosaic.

Medieval Ballads: Chivalry, Romance, and Everyday Life : A Critical Anthology

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Medieval Ballads: Chivalry, Romance, and Everyday Life : A Critical Anthology

Manufacturer: Peter Lang Pub Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

The First Pressing: Poetry of the Everyday

Average customer rating:

Enriching
Beautiful, poignant poetry you will love.

The First Pressing: Poetry of the Everyday
Donna Wahlert
Manufacturer: iUniverse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Inspirational & Religious | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Â“In The First Pressing: Poetry of the Everyday, Donna Wahlert takes us on a journey through the four seasons of life, capturing tiny moments of everyday living. She carries us from the specific to the universal; with eloquence, clarity, and depth of spirit.Â”
Â—June Cotner, author of Graces, Wedding Blessings, and one dozen other inspirational anthologies.

Whether Donna Wahlert writes about attending the spring birth of her granddaughter or finding a newly born fawn at her front door; or describes summer work in a bakery selling wedding cakes, or the mysteries of the Mississippi River; or hints at the autumn anxiety of a child going off to college or the contentment of rocking a grandchild against a harvest moon; or the grief of the wintry years of her motherÂ's AlzheimerÂ's disease, she leads us through complete seasons of emotion. She evokes the events of our own lives in such a way that we are touched to the very core. She writes about the moments of the everyday that we are experiencing but are unable to describe in her unique and touching way. She pilots us through awe and wistfulness, through fear and loss, and leads us back to hope, fulfillment and grace.

Customer Reviews:

Enriching.......2003-10-08

Absolutely lovely poems that really make you think and feel. I strongly recommend this collection.

Beautiful, poignant poetry you will love........2003-09-24

Donna Wahlert's book is filled with poems everyone can relate to. There are poems on birth, love, children, sickness, global events, loss, and other universal events. Her poems touch on these subjects with beautiful and understandable language. This book is not just for poetry lovers but for anyone with a desire to celebrate and reflect on the everyday.

Whispers Of Poetry: Light And Easy Poetry For Everyday People About Everyday Adventures

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Whispers of Poetry
Truely Beautiful
Unique
Impression of Footprints
Take My Hand hits home

Whispers Of Poetry: Light And Easy Poetry For Everyday People About Everyday Adventures
Fay Hope Cusick
Manufacturer: H-Que Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Whispers of Poetry.......2005-03-03

Mrs. Cusick's poems are very easey to read and understand. I have read quite a few, and "Purity" and "Sharing" are my favorites, especially "Purity", as it reminds me of my children. My oldest daughter is learning poetry in school now, and I am giving her this book to help her see that poems don't have to be complicated to be beautiful.

Truely Beautiful.......2005-03-02

Whispers of poetry is an excellent book for all levels of readers. Fay Hope Cusick has a way of captivating the reader with each word she delicately places on a page. Each poem is a perfectly captured moment brought to life like a pinting on a canvas. There are many poems that seem to be wriiten just for the reader. "Twinned Towers" is a marvelous description of the two sky scrapers that stood in the heart of New York City. She tells the story of the tragedy as if she was amoung the crowd of horrified spectators watching helplessly as life, in every sense of the word, crumbled before her. "Sharing" is another poem that is written for each reader individually. It is a reminder of of what most people have forgotten in todays world, to give with no expectations. This book is truely beautiful in every sense of the word. It will touch the heart of anyone who reads it.

Unique.......2005-02-21

Mrs. Cusicks poetry is breath taking. She writes them in such a sincere way. When I read "Because You're You" it was the perfect words to describe a special friend of mine. In her poems she expresses her thoughts, feelings & events that have occurred around the world which have impacted us greatly. Mrs. Cusick dedicated a poem "Time" for the military and their fallen heros. It is a great poem about how there is so little time in life before a war occurs. I highly recommend this poetry book for everyone to read. I guarantee you will love the poems just like I did!

Impression of Footprints.......2005-02-02

I think Mrs. Cusick's poetry is very deep, full of emotion influenced by her life experiences. Her poem Footprints touched me deeply. I know what its like to follow someone and strive to be like them so much. I will deffinately go buy this book to add to the rest of my poetry collection.

Take My Hand hits home.......2005-02-02

I have read 2 of the poems in this book and one that really lit my fire was Take My Hand. The poem gives me a warm feeling inside thinking about my spouse leading me into a new life with him and experiencing everything together. Love is a powerful thing and in this poem it really makes me think about how my love for someone is so pure. I hope that he will "Take my hand And lead me o'er this beautiful land". If you ever get the chance to read this book don't pass it up!!

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