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★★★★★ 5
Gets the Creative Juices Flowing
Format: Paperback
I picked up this book after hearing Kim Addonizio give a reading at my college when I was an undergraduate. Creative Writing and poetry were my areas of emphasis and although we used a different textbook in my poetry class, I came to love this one. It won't give you the formal training in meter and poetic forms that another textbook might, but I love the examples and the prompts for inspiration. It's my favorite book to turn to when I feel the creative well is running dry. It's warm and funny and you feel a real presence from the authors as if you have teachers with you. I haven't met Dorianne Laux, but I have chatted with Kim Addonizio twice after readings and she was lovely. (Her readings are fantastic, by the way, and I highly recommend them!)
If you are familiar with Kim Addonizio'ss poems then you shouldn't be surprised to find a section on erotic poetry in this book. Erotic poems have a long tradition in poetry and they are not "porn" as one reviewer suggested. Sexuality and sensuality are part of life and the artistic expression of such is a special skill set. I think it's fantastic that this book doesn't sensor that.
I love the examples chosen for this book--many beautiful, contemporary poems that utilize vivid and unexpected imagery. I find them inspiring. They make me want to write and they make me want to be a better writer.
I do believe that if you are a beginner or if you are considering this book as a textbook for a class you should consider it as a supplement to a book that goes into a little more depth in certain areas, such as Writing Poems (see if you can get an older edition, if you are lucky, as I see this book has become quite expensive). But this is a fantastic little book and I love having both a hard copy to underline and put notes in and a Kindle copy to keep with me on my phone so I can have a little inspiration with me for easy access.
No matter where you are in your journey as a poet, I believe this is a wonderful book to have in your library.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2021
