Reviews (1)

Inspiring beyond belief!
One of the best books of poetry I have read in years.Few books give such joy and strength.My favorite poem is called Celebrities I Have Seen Off Stage, which is very funny and also a powerful read on observing people better.The love poems are striking, including the one for president Bush, which will make you scream with delight by the end.There's a crazy edge to this book that rubs off on you.C.A. Conrad has this to say to us, "The only - failure - is no - love" And the science fiction giant Samuel Delany loves it which is good enough for me."With a clarity of language that makes the bones sing, they sneak past our defenses and do things, directly, surprisingly, irreparably, to us."--Samuel Delany ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. American Contemporary Poetry    3. Gay Studies    4. Poetry   

Reviews (15)

Have emotions, or want to develop some?
Penelope and Cara, the protagonists of this novel, share many attributes.They are both lesbians, feminists, dubliners, schoolmates, friends, and lovers.There are two very enormous differences between them though and it's these differences, sprinkled between the similarities, that make this novel ring so true and devastating and joyous:one (pen)is loyal and cara is not.And pen is alive, while cara has just died in one of those "who would've thought " car accidents that seem to strike with terrifying random and frequency.
I cannot put into words how much I love this book.
I have read this book many times, and at times it makes me sob with bitter sadness, and at other times it makes me laugh out loud.The writing is exquisite; the bathtub scene (Pen's memory of a peaceful time with her and her recently deceased lover) captures perfectly what the essence of love is.It's beautiful.The frustration that Pen feels at having to keep silent about her partner's death (because she works at a Catholic school and because she lives in Ireland) transmits frustration to the readers as well -- but not in that hokey, "oh being a lesbian is so hard" preachy way.It is Pen's evolution as she learns to cope with Cara's death and to face certain truths she didn't want to deal with previously.I also believe that it is a beautiful love story but in a realistic way - the main characters are not perfect, yet their love is so intense.It's not a "romance" -- it's a real-life, complex love story.I haven't been as big a fan of Donoghue's other novels so far, but this one stands out as exceptional for its writing, story line and character development. Read Hood -- with a box of tissues nearby.

Uncommon
Whenever I encounter a novel with homosexual themes, I usually roll my eyes.You can predict what's going to happen most of the time: the two fall in love, they disagree about coming out/ one gets beat up/ they have to hide/ etc., they are pulled apart, then they come back together against all odds and love overcomes all.Read more

Subjects:  1. English Poetry    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians   

Subjects:  1. Poetry / Single Author / American    2. 20th Century American Poetry    3. American    4. American Contemporary Poetry    5. Gay    6. Gay poets    7. HIV-positive persons    8. Hispanic American authors    9. Hispanic Americans    10. Poetry    11. Single Author - American (General)   

Subjects:  1. Poetry   

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Lesbians    3. Poetry    4. Social problems    5. Women    6. Works by individual poets: from c 1900 -   

Subjects:  1. 1819-1892    2. 19th century    3. American - General    4. Criticism and interpretation    5. Europe - Germany    6. General    7. History    8. History: World    9. Homosexuality and literature    10. Literary Criticism    11. Literature and society    12. Poetry    13. Politics and literature    14. United States    15. Whitman, Walt,    16. American English    17. English    18. Gay studies (Gay men)    19. Literary Criticism & Collections / American    20. Literature/English | American Literature | 19th C    21. Poetry & poets: 19th century    22. USA   

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Poetry    3. Poetry / Single Author / American    4. AIDS (Disease)    5. Gay men    6. Handicapped    7. Single Author - American   

Subjects:  1. Gay & Lesbian studies   

Subjects:  1. American - African American    2. American - General    3. American Contemporary Poetry    4. Gay men    5. Mythology, Greek    6. Poetry    7. English    8. USA    9. Works by individual poets: from c 1900 -   

Reviews (2)

"Let men say what they will."
This collection of poems of love, longing, sadness, A lovely read
This is a great book that spans the spectrum of gay love.There are some incredible things in here and reading a sonnet, I could not contain myself, I was laughing and blushing in the bookstore.Well worth getting as a gift to yourself or anyone who needs to hear in great words the things they feel so well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthologies (multiple authors)    2. Gays    3. Love poetry    4. Poetry    5. Sexuality In Literature   

Reviews (1)

A strong poetic voice
I knew the poet during my studies at Stanford University and was thus interested in reading his verse.I first read some anthologized poems, then stumbled upon this collection.Cassells is a highly talented poetwith a magical command of language.His best poems are the ones on generalthemes (Down from the Houses of Magic, A Schadrach Chorus) in which hefuses keen observation with an excellent ear and thereby creates anexquisite music.He is one of very few living authors that can send me tomy dictionary to look up a word, witnessing to his vast storehouse oflanguage.I found the sequence of poems on AIDS victims moving, butperhaps a touch too self-absorbed -- more like journal entries thanhighly-crafted works of art.Not that I can fault him for this, since thepoems evidently issued from very grievous personal losses; but asmentioned, he is better in the other poems.If there is anything tocriticize in his work it is that there is scarcely any lightness orjoviality -- no witty edge to relieve the weighty and lugubrious subjectshe broods over.Perhaps an even more mature Cassells will be able toincorporate this dimension into his voice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African American Poetry    2. African American gays    3. African Americans    4. American    5. American Contemporary Poetry    6. Gay men    7. Poetry   

Reviews (1)

IF YOU LOVE LIMERICKS, YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK
You don't have to be gay to enjoy these limericks, but you have to be ready for some bawdiness and you've got to be prepared to laugh. It seemsthat a lot of people write limerick, but only a very few write good ones.This author is one of those talented fellows who fill a book with oneclever limerick after another. This book is a must for limerick lovers,regardless of their sexual orientation. A good laugh, gay or straight, is agood laugh! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American    2. American - General    3. Form - Limericks & Verse    4. Gay Studies    5. Poetry    6. Reference    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (1)

the mouth of home
Reading The Mouth of Home is a sensorium for all the various senses. Arousing wonder and awe in the elements that surround our being which arenormally comsumed by the daily rote. Feeling the raw observations of CarlSandburg and the cleansing revival of Walt Whitman in the textured poesy. Janelle Moon has certainly achieved a paragon for the infusion ofreflection and inspiration for our contemporary lives.Thank you Ms Moonfor the awakening! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. General    3. Lesbians    4. Poetry   

Reviews (3)

A translation.
More or less 150 years after Homer's Iliad, Sappho lived on the island of Lesbos west off the coast what is present Turkey. (Due to political upheavel she went two times in exile, the second time to Sicily for a short time ).
Elegant in its simplicity
This polished translation brilliantly reflects those spare but sparkling lines from the winsome poet of a lonely isle and heart.I find it still superb after many readings.Highly recommended.

Achingly Beautiful
"To Eros:You crush me." The tenderness and splendor of Sappho's poetry has never been so lusciously rendered as in this translation.Every little word sings with love and warmth.Thank you,Willis Barnstone, for omitting the cumbersone ellipses and brackets oftranslations past.Now we can enjoy Sappho's passion undisturbed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Continental European    2. General    3. Greece    4. Lesbian    5. Poetry    6. Sappho    7. Translations into English    8. Women    9. Poetry / General    10. Works by individual poets: classical, early & medieval   

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Poetry    3. American English    4. Black studies    5. Gay studies (Gay men)    6. Works by individual poets: from c 1900 -   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African American authors    3. American - General    4. American Contemporary Poetry (Anthologies)    5. American poetry    6. Gay men    7. Poetry    8. English    9. Poetry anthologies: from c 1900 -    10. USA   

Reviews (1)

A breath of fresh air
I loved this play, I could relate to each character as if they had been friends throughout my life.It has wonderful clarity and so easily read.The author blind sided me though because it ended far too early.I wish it had a few 100 more pages! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th Century American Poetry    2. Drama    3. Lesbians    4. Plays   

Reviews (4)

the house that jack built
A must for anyone interested in 1 of the 3 greatest poets [writing in english] circa 1950 to present. Gizzi's essay is illuminating and steers clear of obfuscating what Spicer meant by "dictation" and the "outside".

Dynamics of Dictation and The Love of the Game
The House That Jack Built is a must have for any serious poet or reader of poetry and poetics.Spicer's lectures on dictation, the serial poem, and the practice of reading lay a foundation for the art of writing poetry that is without default.His ideas are instrumental in poetry's process.Peter Gizzi's afterword enlivens the spirit of Spicer's practice and makes it available to the reader.Exhibiting a close relationship with Spicer's work and method, Gizzi both completes and opens the material discussed in the lectures.A stellar accomplishment.

A wonderful book until Gizzi starts writing
This book is simply amazing as Jack Spicer had amazing martian forces driving him. The lectures are excellently transcribed and annotated. This part of the book holds amazing inspiration. Where the book fails is thatGizzi decided to start writing about Jack. I could hardly begin to read histacked on essay before putting the book down in disgust. Jack spoke forhimself just fine. The essay belongs somewhere else. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Authorship    3. Essays    4. Literary Collections    5. Literary Criticism    6. Literature: Classics    7. Poetry    8. Serial poetry    9. Spicer, Jack    10. American English    11. Gay studies (Gay men)    12. Literary Criticism & Collections / Essays    13. Other prose: from c 1900 -   

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Gay    3. General    4. Poetry    5. Poetry texts & anthologies   

Reviews (4)

Strong, with flaws
A solid collection, though there are some howlers.A great resource for the study of lesbian poetry as it dawned upon general literary acceptance.Good place to start,a nd filled with good contemporary samples.

connects the hearts of women across the world
This book runs the gamet of female emotions and tells us words we've all familiar with.For me, this book was very familiar.I was left nodding in agreement after quite a few poems.There are quite a few excellent poemsbut they are sadly balanced by a few un-poetic attempts to run wordstogether in a seemingly poetic way.

Love Poems
There is something about reading that which you can relate to that is inherently beautiful.I found that some of these poems were really beautiful and quite well done.However, I was slightly disappointed thatmore weren't so.Some of them seemed rushed without thought or edit. Although you may not agree...the only way to judge is to read the bookyourself.There isn't any harm in it.We lesbians should read and supportall lesbian writing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Contemporary Poetry (Anthologies)    2. General    3. Lesbian    4. Lesbians    5. Lesbians' writings, American    6. Love poetry, American    7. Poetry    8. Sexuality In Literature    9. Sociology    10. Women authors    11. English    12. Social Science / Gay Studies    13. USA    14. Works by individual poets: from c 1900 -