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TOWER JOURNAL BOOK REVIEWS
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Into the Celestial
Spheres |
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Universal |
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Heavenly |
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Out of this World |
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Skyward |
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I Went
Looking for You
by Ruth Lepson
I Went Looking for You implies a relationship between
the seeker and the found, calling to mind the games of hide
and seek we play with
family, friends and lovers. Ruth's poems reveal the
fragility and courage required to participate in this
unspoken sport, at times disclosing that what is found may
not be pleasant. Exploring nature and
prayer, the mysterious intellection of words, the messages
of dreams, this work searches not only for the flesh
and blood of human beings, but also for the inscrutable, the
unknowable— rendering this collection of poems classic,
enduring. Buy it, without reservation.
BlazeVOX
[books]
Buffalo,New York
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Stars
of the Night Commute
by Ana Božičević
Ana Božičević finds poetry in odd pieces of the world.
With daring turns of words and phrases, she teaches us that
fragments of gum, wire, subways, telephones, basements and
dead dogs are mere transcendental bits and bobs capable of
transporting us to an unearthly experience not necessarily
calm— rather taut, on the edge of explosion. This debut
collection of work, from an extremely talented and
relentless young writer will very soon become a collector's
item. Buy it while you can. More Ana! Please!
Tarpaulin Sky Press
Grafton, Vermont
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Robert Philbin's Review of
Slaves to Do These Things
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Slaves to
Do These Things
by Amy King
Amy King is a poet's poet, highly respected in the
contemporary world of letters. Her latest collection of
poems
reveals why.
Mistress of a mythic surrealism that is laced at times with
bawdy language, Amy combines images like "moldy dark stools
in back room encounters" with "Michaelangelo turning
crosshairs to sunshine." Unusual juxtapositions
like these compel the reader to turn the page, discover
more. Divided into five acts, this collection of poetry arcs
like a prize-winning drama, a volume that should be in
everyone's hands and on everyone's shelf!
BlazeVOX [books]
Buffalo,New York
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Equal to
the Earth
by Jee Leong Koh
This first, full-length collection of poems by Jee Leong Koh,
reveals why this young man has become an almost overnight
sensation. His poetry can't be classified. It is at
times internal and deep, then mundane and urban and even
sarcastic and humorous. His language, mythic and
crass, reveals a bold desire to comprehend love and human
interactions. He uses words, rhythm and images like a
daring, young master. Buy this book and watch this poet's
future! You won't be disappointed.
BENCH PRESS
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Paradise
by (Elise) Lisa Stewart
This poetry collection, sweltering with British avante-garde
romanticism at its best, is a delightful read from the first
poem, "Paradise" to the very last, "Let it Linger."
Lisa Stewart draws her inspiration both from ancient Greece and
the British Romantic poets. If you are in love, or have
ever been deeply in love, this saddle-stitched paperback is
one book you will want on your shelf!
Masque Publishing
Littlehampton, England
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The Museum
of Ordinary People
by Lewis Turco
A delicious collection of
short fiction by Lewis Turco, who is considered one of the
great contemporary masters of dialogue. Playful, human
characters in ordinary and extraordinary situations amuse
the reader from start to finish. The book, titled after a
short story of the same name, offers a museum of ordinary
people, in wax, as an extended metaphor for the entire book.
Star Cloud Press
Scottsdale, Arizona |
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Fantaseers:
A Book of Memories
by Lewis Turco
Lewis Turco's memoirs about
growing up in Connecticut in the 1950's read much like a
20th century version of Huckleberry Finn antics. The
Fantaseers are high school fraternity members up to no good.
Surprisingly, four of the fraternity members end up in
religious orders, while Lewis Turco becomes one of the
United State's most respected writers.
Star Cloud Press
Scottsdale, Arizona |
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Jacket Design by David Reiter
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toward a grammar of being
by Julie Waugh
This collection of poems ordered under grammatical
categories such as "future tense," "bare
infinitives," "possessive phrases" and "simple past,"
offers poems that use grammar in the old way, the right
way, a way that provides words and sounds as spring boards
to ideas. Waugh's courageous poems are social,
personal, philosophical, and chock full of splendid
metaphors. Her aesthetically pleasing juxtapositions
of images, sounds and ideas satisfy the human soul.
Published by Interactive Press, Brisbane, 2009
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Released quietly in mid summer 2008, this philosophical treatise, broadly written in the
form of a long poem, is destined
to softly alter contemporary poetry... like salt. In this manifesto, Gregory
Vincent St. Thomasino teaches the meaning
of logos and the true role of the poet in society.
This book can be downloaded free from
E·Ratio Editions.
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Frieda L.
Levinsky is a writer with a bold, relentless voice,
determined to make her mark in the world. A survivor
of the Holocaust, a number of her poems consider that
frightening era, but her poems are also self-reflective and
reveal a deep love for nature.
Frieda's book, Enlightened Ambiance,
can be purchased from
Xlibris books.
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Mary-Marcia Casoly's
poems wedge the five senses, pushing them by means of
honest, common sense. With an Introduction by
Jack Foley.
Pantograph Press / Goldfish Press Berkeley / Seattle,
2002
For copies write to: Run to Tenderness, Pantograph Press,
2569 maxwell Avenue, Oakland, CA 94601-5521
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Dana Gioia calls this collection of Jack Foley interviews
and essays about poets and poetry from the San Francisco bay
area a "necessary" book for Californians. I'll add to
that. It's a necessary book for all poets and critics,
regardless of geographic location, who seek to know more
about the evolution and philosophy of poetry, (includes Jack
Foley's interviews with Gerald Vizenor and Allen Ginsberg).
Pantograph
Press, 2569 Maxwell Avenue, Oakland, CA 94601-5521
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A
unique collection of haiku, by Adelle Foley, that brings
this poetic form into social commentary.
Pantograph Press / Goldfish Press Berkeley / Seattle,
2002
For copies write to: Along the Bloodline, Pantograph Press,
2569 Maxwell Avenue, Oakland, CA 94601-5521
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If you enjoy long poems, then Ivan
Arguelles' book, Madonna Septet, in two volumes, is one that
you will thoroughly enjoy. Each book is about
two inches thick!
Potes and Poets Press Inc
181 Edgemont Avenue
Elmwood CT 06110-1005
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