Subscribe via RSS Feed

Category: Poetry

Guest Post: Edward Blaine Livingston, author of Pare My Heart

[ 1 ] May 10, 2012

Please welcome my friend Edward Blaine Livingston with his new book of poetry, Pare My Heart!

by Edward

I don’t usually go too deeply into why I write something or what it’s about personally for me, just as an artistic principle, but I will share a little.

Pare My Heart is a book of largely metered and entirely rhyming poems, some of them about love, romantic love, some about childhood, some about God/religion, some just about observing the world in a philosophic way. Some of them are referential to a girl I was in love with in childhood and adolescence and others are entirely separate from that. I feel that the whole thing forms a kind of narrative, though it may be deceptive and not grounded in the actual inspiration of the poems (at times).

I think I would like to say that my work stresses musicality and a kind of childlike enjoyment of the sound of words, the rhythm of phrases and rhyme. Certainly it is full of references to fairies, ghosts, selkies and all manner of imaginary stuff that is out of fashion for poems today. It lacks the gravitas of contemporary poetry, but this is delibrate.

View Post

Review: They Don’t Make Memories Like That Anymore by Katrina Guarascio

[ 6 ] November 5, 2011

Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

The poems within They don’t make memories like that anymore were a welcome surprise. They were as soft as a worn flannel sheet at a beach house and 100% as familiar. The poems spoke of relationships and offered an insight and a clear voice to describe complicated emotions.

The title poem (“They don’t make memories like that anymore…”) is about a lover who wants love but is wary about giving to much of herself to the other person. Instead, we see the character in the poem watching the other person to gauge his (or her) response. As I read the poems I kept feeling as if I needed to read them again – just to solidify my interpretation (although everyone will feel, see recognize and experience these poems differently).

In another poem (“Home”) the author makes a literal reference to finding someone’s bones in her backyard. The careful reader will interpret this poem to be one of a metaphorical expression of grief, loss, longing and hope. The images in all of the poems are like a type of literary stream of consciousness writing – but they are quite good. After reading each poem, it will be easy to sit back and reflect on what was said. The images are so open and honest it will take the reader by surprise.

One of my favorite poems is called “Thank You”. The poem accurately describes the full cycle of a romantic relationship in indirect thoughts pinned directly to the bare emotion a person would feel being in this type of situation. There are a few other poems with the theme of fire, cigarettes, smoke, bars and relationships. These are more standard fare, but still quite good.

Rating: 5/5

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Casa de Snapdragon. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

Review: In the Language of Women by Charles Ades Fishman

[ 3 ] September 30, 2011

Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

In the Language of Women is a collection of wonderful poems that honors the voice of all women with a fresh take on what it means to be female around the world. Each poem is reminiscent of a short story and at the end, the reader will be left wondering about the subject of the poem, and will want to know more. Every piece makes it very apparent that the author has an appreciation of women in all settings, and all life stages.

In the Language of Women features poems from women of different cultures and various generations (daughters, mothers and grandmothers). The women depicted in the poems discover themselves, understand that they are the last of their clan and the next to die, travel to find an appreciation of the world, or speak from an inner voice which ties them to all women globally – in a type of shared struggle for basic survival.

The poems are separated into chapters with themes such as heavenly topics, lost voices, dreams, forgotten whispers and faith based poems. Many of these poems have an undercurrent of forgiveness and faith. Some focus on an uplifting message for those who have been in love or have seen the despair of war, or who have lived lives full of regret. I enjoyed reading each poem and believe other readers will get something out of these poems as well.

Rating: 5/5

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Casa de Snapdragon. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

Review: Not a Muse by Kate Rogers & Viki Holmes

[ 3 ] May 14, 2011

Reviewed by Caitlin Busch

Not a Muse is touted as a “post-feminist” work in its synopsis, before that notion is deconstructed in its preface. Considering how complex the inner lives of women are, it is a very complete collection. Submissions were accepted from a wide variety of poets: over 100 amateur & professional writers from 24 different countries are included in the published text. The reader has an unparalleled opportunity to participate in a wide array of stories, all in one volume.

This anthology is divided into themes:

Creator|Family|Archetype|Explorer|Myth maker|Home maker|Landscape|Lover|Freedom fighter|Keeper of secrets|Keeper of memories|Ageing

These themes make Not a Muse especially exciting for fans of literary theory, students and writers. Each poem is attributed a particular theme by the editors and it’s a delightful challenge to figure out why each poem belongs to its chapter. The poets cover topics like the arts, nature, goodbyes, cooking, motherhood, childlessness, sex, love, abuse, adultery, maturity and widowhood… and that’s only the beginning: there are 543 pages of excellent poetry here!

There are too many selections I want to recommend from this volume. I’m afraid it would be unfair to the other authors to do so and it would bore the reader with yet another list. I will mention one as an example of 21st century spirit behind Not a Muse: “This Is the Muse” by Gol McAdam. It opens up the old archetype of the [amazonify]988180941X[/amazonify]muse to a contemporary audience. In the course of the poem, the muse is revealed to be a synapse: a biochemical process, instead of a spirit or goddess. Instead of traveling between heavenly bodies and the Earth, the Muse travels within the brain via synapses. She is as romanticized as she’s ever been, but language is here used to glorify a scientific reality rather than a spectral one. Greek myths need not apply.

Poetry is the creation or retelling of stories using word-, sound- and sense-scapes, so it can be very unnatural to break the narrator’s voice by explaining a literary reference or Latin phrase. In a volume like Not a Muse, the end notes are endlessly useful to the reader when the poet has crafted a work that relies (all or in part) on such references. Brief biographies of the authors are also provided, which fascinate and often help interpret the voices in their poems.

Not a Muse has so many moving parts; depending how you approach it, the book could be escapist or a highly involved read. I believe it would make an excellent text for a master class – and I wish I could take that class. I am fortunate to have had the time to fully bond with this book; I am so glad to have it on my bookshelf and have nothing but praise for it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Caitlin is a fiction writer who also dabbles in poetry, creative nonfiction and acrylic painting. When not reading, she enjoys hiking, cooking and spending time with friends and pets. She earned her B.A. in English from the University of Portland and currently resides in Oregon.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by PR by the Book. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

“Echoes of a Woman’s Soul” by Dianna Doles Petry

[ 4 ] July 3, 2010

Reviewed by Poppy J.

Echoes of a Woman’s Soul is for anyone interested in reading poetry the way it used to be written. The author uses rhyming schemes and creative words to make a book of poetry that can be read and noted for reference on any occasion.

The poems are of the simplest origin, with the author’s thoughts and feelings expressed within the vivid landscapes. In the collection, the author has included poems that reflect the values of contemporary culture. These include a poems to Steve Irwin and to the victims of 9/11.

The author includes her feelings on how to deal with painful memories and what to do with the sage advice form a grandmother. However, most of the poems are based on the idea of love and how a person should cherish it and honor it in his or her life. Her themes are of destiny, innocence, love and honor and the reader will enjoy picking up the book and reading it over a cup of coffee, or whenever there is time to take a break from the real world.

Echoes of a Woman’s Soul is appropriate for any age, and anyone would enjoy reading lighthearted poems such as the ones presented by Petry.

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Author & Book Promotion. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

View Post

Review: My Written Thoughts by Ashley Megan Lamore

[ 0 ] July 18, 2009

Reviewed by Poppy J.

My Written Thoughts is the first book of poetry for Ashley Megan Lamore. The reader will find the cover art is simple and yet holds a deeper meaning. The prism in the inkwell is also reflected on the tip of the quill pen. It comes to symbolize that the book of poems represents the author’s deepest thoughts, and that those thoughts and feelings are like a well. Is there a bottom that would lead the author to sorting out her life experiences, or is the well bottomless, with no resolution at the end of the chord strung? The reader is privileged to be allowed to read the poems of this author since they are so deeply honest, and at times must have been difficult for her to write or speak out loud.

Most of the poems tell a story, of the Lamore’s past with abuse and relationships she experienced within her immediate family. However, these poems are more than being an exercise in general descriptions of relationships in the author’s life. A few stick out as significant.

Lamore finally tells her family of her “secret” (which alludes to her abuse as a child) and states, “Oh how good it feels to finally let go a part of my past.” At this point in the poetry book, one cannot help but feel happy for the author, since the reader has begun to understand how important it is for the author to begin her healing process and discover a possible forgiveness.

One of my favorite poems is “Deadly Medicine,” where Lamore writes of the choices we all make in our lives. She states, “There goes your life, Here comes your funeral,” and it is a literal statement as to how people contribute to our lives, our society or our planet – or not. The rest of the poems discuss temptations common to teenagers (the author describes many instances that occurred while she was a student in high school), and to this end there are no surprises. But the statement of a life going and a funeral coming is literal and fresh at the same time.

Two poems that deal with self image are “Mask,” and “Beauty and the Body.” Many readers will be able to relate to these poems as they are charged with the emotions of a person coming to terms with her life and her situation.

The poems at times seem too simplistic, with just a listing of feelings that are easily identified (fear, regret, or anger) by Lamore. Some of them will leave no place for the reader to go, except to agree with or deny the author’s feelings as something that the reader can relate to or not. On the other hand, there are many poems that might speak to the reader on a personal enough level. And it is at those moments that the reader might truly enjoy this poetry and reflect on the deeper meaning of Lamore’s writing.

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Related Posts with Thumbnails
View Post