Synopses & Reviews
“One of the wonderful things about Jimmy & Rita is that Kim Addonizio never imposes herself in any way, so the poems sing themselves into us. We experience the victories and defeats of Jimmy and Rita as they struggle through the boundless claustrophobia of their world. I think of them and there is a sense of sadness within me. Yet I think of what Addonizio has accomplished and I feel joy.”—Hubert Selby, Jr “ Kim Addonizio’s work is distinguished by two of the rarest qualities in American poetry: a sense of dramatic life on the page and a sense of class consciousness. Both are evident in Jimmy & Rita, a book that streams with the fragmented unity, pace and visceral immediacy of a film:--Stuart Dybeck
About the Author
KIM ADDONIZIO lives in Oakland, CA. She is the author of five books of poetry, including Tell Me (BOA Editions), which was a National Book Award Finalist. Her most recent collection is Lucifer at the Starlite (W.W. Norton). She has two books on writing, also from Norton: The Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry (with Dorianne Laux) and Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within. A Selected Poems, Two Losers Stand on a Corner, was published in Arabic by Kalima Press. In the Box Called Pleasure, a short story collection, was published by FC2. Addonizio has also authored two novels, Little Beauties and My Dreams Out in the Street (Simon & Schuster). Visit her online at www.kimaddonizio.com.