National Anthem, poems by Kevin Prufer (Four Way): Kevin Prufer’s terrific fourth collection exposes a nightmare straight from the head of Walt Whitman. In it, America sings a democratic song of distress, with no one, or thing, denied suffering or a voice: not the moon, nor minor politicians, shopping centers or the book’s most prevalent…
Sister, poems by Nickole Brown (Red Hen): Using umbilicus as guide rail, the speaker of this unflinching and brilliant first book undertakes a hair-lifting expedition back to her childhood, returning to a younger sister both long neglected and longed for. Proving that narrative and lyric are never mutually exclusive, Brown pulls the reader down the…
The Flawless Skin of Ugly People, a novel by Doug Crandell (Virgin): In this debut novel, Doug Crandell reverses the age-old question of inner versus outer beauty to deal with its counterpart: inner versus outer ugliness. The novel compellingly reveals that physical ugliness (however this is defined)—because of the reactions of others—may isolate and alienate…
Robert Boswell recommends Rare High Meadow of Which I Might Dream, poems by Connie Voisine: “Connie Voisine’s second book of poetry is a powerfully moving exploration of desire and the consequences of desire. The language has the clarity and precision of genius. A brilliant book.” (Chicago)
Robert Boswell recommends House of Bone, poems by Sheila Black: "This is a complex and surprising collection, a very mature first book of poetry. House of Bone is beautifully written, and the poems are genuinely moving. Sheila Black deserves a wide and enthusiastic audience." (Custom Words)
Maxine Kumin recommends That or Which, and Why: A Usage Guide for Thoughtful Writers and Editors, by Evan Jenkins: “A pragmatic and wonderfully witty collection of advice on slippery usage issues. Even if you think you know it all, read it for entertainment.” (Routledge)
Russell Banks, The Reserve, a novel: Part love story, part murder mystery, and set on the cusp of the Second World War, this deeply engaging new novel raises dangerous questions about class, politics, art, love, and madness. (Harper)
Maxine Kumin recommends Ultra-Talk, essays by David Kirby: “Kirby’s essays leapfrog from remembering Johnny Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ while touring Sicily to a piece called ‘Give Me Life Coarse and Rank,’ a disquisition on dithyrambs and more in Whitman. My favorite essay, ‘Shrouded in a Fiery Mist,’ examines the eroticism of Saint Teresa of Avila…
Gerald Stern recommends Velocity, poems by Nancy Krygowski: “These are courageous poems. The music, the language, which I love, is based on a terrific sense of things, and I don’t know if it is the music or the knowledge which I most admire. This is a wide-eyed, assertive, wild, well-read, street-smart, edgy, loving, suffering, heaven-crazed…
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