Synopses & Reviews
Charles Simic has been widely celebrated for his brilliant poetic imagery; his social, political, and moral alertness; his uncanny ability to make the ordinary extraordinary; and not least, a sardonic humor all his own. Gathering much of his material from the seemingly mundane minutia of contemporary American culture, Simic matches meditations on spiritual concerns and the weight of history with a nimble wit, shifting effortlessly to moments of clear vision and intense poetic revelation.
The poems in this collection--spanning two decades of his work--present a rich and varied survey of a remarkable lyrical journey.
Review
"On re-reading work that is approaching its 20th year in print, readers will find that Simic's signature quatrains and other free verse stanzas retain their forceful mix of joy, wit and melancholy....It's an opportunity that will be exploited even by fans who own multiple Simic collections." Publishers Weekly
Review
"[T]his poet's repetitiveness is a complicated matter, because it's intimately related to the themes around which his poetry revolves. Simic can't quite believe in anything, and he can't quite not believe in anything; as a result, his irony and his romanticism can grind against each other in a tortured stasis." David Orr, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Simic's is a unique and necessary voice in American poetry, one that concisely articulates a profound aversion to simplistic answers and bland comforts....This powerful volume collects outstanding poems from six previous books...and presents a sterling set of new poems, each moody, surprising, and tonic." Donna Seaman, Booklist
Review
"Luckily for readers, these poems do make a difference, rising Chagall-like above the fears and desolation of which they speak. If there were ever a poet whose work was needed in these difficult times, it would be Simic. An important purchase for all libraries." Library Journal
About the Author
Born in 1938 in Belgrade,
Charles Simic is widely recognized as one of the most important and appealing American poets of our time. Simic received the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for
The World Doesn't End, and
Walking the Black Cat was a finalist for the National Book Award for poetry in 1996. He lives in New Hampshire.