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Poet's Bookshelf: Contemporary Poets on Books That Shaped Their Art
by Peter Davis
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About This Book
ISBN13: 9780935306507 |
Powells.com Staff Pick
In the editor's preface, Peter Davis writes:
When I was studying for my MFA I was required to read 25 books, of my choosing, per semester. Once, I asked one of my professors to give me some suggestions and she gave me a list of 30 or so writers that she thought I should read. I didn't know if these were writers that were personally important to her, or if they were simply writers she thought might become important to me, but, either way, I thought it was a great list. Soon after, I got the idea for this book and began asking leading contemporary poets to respond to these prompts:
- Please list 5–10 books that have been most "essential" to you, as a poet.
- Please write some comments about your list. You may want to single out specific poems or passages from the books, discuss how you made your decisions or provide thoughts about the importance of these books in your life. Feel free to write as much as you would like.
The result is a fascinating list not only because of the way each of
the 86 poets responded to the request but also because of the incredible
diversity of the works cited. A unique anthology for anyone curious about the art of
poetry.
Recommended by John L., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Review:
"The sense of stumbling onto oddly formed treasures holds throughout this simply volume....The influences go beyond poetry and fiction, to the King James Bible, painter Chaim Soutine, and works on architecture, history, and geography....We emerge with new appetite, much as B. H. Fairchild did after reading Moby Dick and The Brothers Karamazov for the first time, 'I walked around in a sort of intellectual daze followed by a hunger that has never left me,' he wrote, 'and has filled my house with far too many books'." Poetry International
Review:
"What a fabulous anthology concept! Poet's Bookshelf can top a list of books for recommending to, not just poetry lovers but, those who don't follow poetry but are curious to learn more. For Poet's Bookshelf, by showing how poets are in love with poetry, can make the reader fall in love with poetry, too. This book, also replete with deep insights, is a far more attractive alternative than other anthologies to which people usually turn for poetry introductions." Galatea Resurrects
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Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9780935306507
- Subtitle:
- Contemporary Poets on Books That Shaped Their Art
- Editor:
- Davis, Peter
