The Poet's Companion Book Review: Into The Minds of Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux

Back to Back Issues Page

The Poet's Companion Book Review: Into The Minds of Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux
August 21, 2008

Hello Poets and Poetry Lovers

I apologize for the short letter this week. My wife and I are in Dover, Pa., camping out and watching over two vendor booths. She makes dolls, quilts, and baby clothes by hand, and I've got more handyman tools than I know what to do with, as well as corkscrews, scissors, and other handy thingamajigs that were all confiscated by airport security since 911. I'm also peddling some poetry books, hand made jewelry, and candle holders. Aren't we crafty? :-)

Narcissism aside, I'm a little late getting started on this week's newsletter because we've been preparing for the weekend and last night when I sat down to get it started, which is usually when I put together the week's issue, my computer went kaput (it's been rather cranky lately). So I'm cutting a few things out this week in order to get it out on time and present what needs to be presented. Again, my apologies. I'm working hard to keep the updates coming and to add new features to the website, the newsletter, and the blog. Keep cheering for me and maybe I'll come along!

Updated World Class Poetry Pages
New World Class Poetry Pages
American Life in Poetry by Ted Kooser
New World Class Poetry Blog Posts
Poetry Book Of The Week
Are You Subscribed?
World Class Poetry Networking

Updated World Class Poetry Pages

I'm still trucking along to get the full upgrade to the website finished. This week's updated pages include:

And because I've added a new book review this week, I've also updated the poetry book reviews page. Enjoy!

New World Class Poetry Pages

I was hoping to get more pages done this week, but alas! At least you can enjoy reading the book review of Kim Addonizio's and Dorianne Laux's The Poet's Companion: A Guide To The Pleasures Of Writing Poetry.

American Life in Poetry: Column 178

BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE, 2004-2006

We mammals are ferociously protective of our young, and we all know not to wander in between a sow bear and her cubs. Here Minnesota poet Gary Dop, without a moment's hesitation, throws himself into the water to save a frightened child.

Father, Child, Water

I lift your body to the boat
before you drown or choke or slip too far
beneath. I didn't think--just jumped, just did
what I did like the physics
that flung you in. My hands clutch under
year-old arms, between your life
jacket and your bobbing frame, pushing you,
like a fountain cherub, up and out.
I'm fooled by the warmth pulsing from
the gash on my thigh, sliced wide and clean
by an errant screw on the stern.
No pain. My legs kick out blood below.
My arms strain
against our deaths to hold you up
as I lift you, crying, reaching, to the boat.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright (c) 2008 by Gary Dop. Reprinted from "New Letters", Vol. 74, No. 3, Spring 2008, by permission of Gary Dop. Introduction copyright (c) 2008 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

New World Class Poetry Blog Posts

Poetry Book Of The Week

Meet this week's poetry book of the week:

The Poet's Companion: A Guide To The Pleasures Of Writing Poetry is a fabulous book on poetics by Dorianne Laux and Kim Addonizio. While I can't say that I agree with everything they teach, I would recommend this book to any poet at any level of development. It's a very good read..