| Author | Message | ||
| Ros Badcoe
New member Username: endolith Post Number: 42 Registered: 03-2008 |
I don't know a lot of modern American poets, so I've been doing some research - I found the work of Linda Pastan on the web, bought one of her books (Carnival Evening), and was really delighted. I wonder, would I feel the same about Ted Koosner? Are there other American poets writing in a similar sort of vein (yes, I know I'm being vague) that I should explore? Thanks for any advice! "I tried to reach the muse, but I only got the call centre" (quote from my son) | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 29221 Registered: 11-1998 |
Dearest Ros -- I'm not familiar with the work of Linda Pastan, but I can say that Ted Kooser is quite popular and I think you would enjoy him. Whether his work is comparable to Pastan, I will leave for someone else to discuss. As far as recommendations on other modern American poets, do check out our BookShop: WPF BookShop In it, you will find many recommendations on poetry volumes written by popular modern American poets as well as poets from other countries. The listing of these modern poets' books start about halfway down the BookShop page and is arranged alphabetically by author. Every book in the BookShop comes with Wild's seal of approval. At the very least, the listings there will give you guidance in broadening your search for poets you might enjoy. Hope this info proves helpful. Love, M | ||
| W.F. Roby
Member Username: wfroby Post Number: 96 Registered: 03-2008 |
I would also point you toward the amazing WPF bookshop of course -- but I have some other suggestions for you as well. Mona Van Duyn -- her book Near Changes from 1990 is excellent, and similar to the work of Linda Pastan I should say. Molly Peacock's Cornucopia is also right up your alley. Her off-Broadyway show The Shimmering Verge is a-MAZING if you can find it. And of course, you can't mention Molly Peacock without mentioning her contemporaries and friends -- Marilyn Hacker, Charles Martin, Wyatt Prunty and the other New Formalists. Hope this gives you some nice reading material. | ||
| Michael Reed Samford
New member Username: mikesamford Post Number: 31 Registered: 03-2008 |
If you like Pastan I think you will find Mary Jo Bangs a fun read. I thought at length on the future of man, for sanity’s sake, I’ll never do that again. | ||
| Ros Badcoe
New member Username: endolith Post Number: 44 Registered: 03-2008 |
Thanks for all your thoughts - I shall investigate the poets mentioned. I have had a quick look at the Bookshop, but it's hard to tell what would appeal most and some are hard to get hold of over here.. I suppose I should broaden my horizons and try most of them...(except the house is already bursting with books!). So, what are the New Formalists? "I tried to reach the muse, but I only got the call centre" (quote from my son) | ||
| W.F. Roby
Valued Member Username: wfroby Post Number: 105 Registered: 03-2008 |
Here's an okay breakdown of New Formalists and New Formalism -- tho it is important to remember, as the article states, that the title is something of a joke to most poets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Formalism | ||
| Judy Thompson
Advanced Member Username: judyt54 Post Number: 1025 Registered: 11-2007 |
Ros, if you're near a library, the best way to get acquainted with poets is the free way. That, and anthologies. They can give you a startling collection of poets, bits of everyone, and its a great way to find work that you really like, and might be willing to invest in on a larger scale. | ||
| Fred Longworth
Senior Member Username: sandiegopoet Post Number: 3645 Registered: 05-2006 |
Look for hard-to-comprehend poems, utterly devoid of humor, as heavy on craft as they are light on depth of vision, and laced with sophomorish political idealism disguised as enlightenment. Then, to recover, read some Billy Collins, Sharon Olds, Stephen Dobyns, Kim Addonizio, B.H. Fairchild, Charles Simic and Mary Oliver. Fred * * * * * (Message edited by sandiegopoet on April 01, 2008) Unofficial Forum Pariah recent victim of alien abduction | ||
| Ros Badcoe
New member Username: endolith Post Number: 48 Registered: 03-2008 |
Good advice: I've just snaffled a couple of anthologies from my local library, but it's a bit small, and light on poetry. Thanks Fred - that's been my problem, the poetry I'm reading on Wild has been too good. I need the over-politicised, over-worked hard stuff to make me feel I'm doing this right. "I tried to reach the muse, but I only got the call centre" (quote from my son) | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 29250 Registered: 11-1998 |
Dearest Ros -- check out this anthology: Admin's Featured Five-Star Book Picks It's filled with some of the best modern poets and some who are less known, but no less great in terms of talent. And besides that, the book is a blast to read and the poems range from fun to profound. Enjoy! Love, M | ||
| Ros Badcoe
New member Username: endolith Post Number: 50 Registered: 03-2008 |
Thanks, M, for the recommendation - might find it a bit hard to get hold of on this side of the pond, though. | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 29255 Registered: 11-1998 |
Does Amazon not ship to the UK, Ros? I would have thought since they are such a behemoth, that overseas shipping wouldn't be an issue for them. But then again, this volume isn't available directly through Amazon; it's offered by their resellers, so maybe overseas shipping is not an option. If you could answer the question about overseas shipping, though, I'd appreciate knowing more. It will help me seek other sources for our non-US members to access. Thanks! Love, M | ||
| W.F. Roby
Valued Member Username: wfroby Post Number: 110 Registered: 03-2008 |
Hey Ros -- among the rough of online journals there are certainly diamonds -- and I'm constantly thrilled by what I read at some of them. Our members are involved with many of these journals, so I don't mean to sound like a shameless kissup, but they are excellent -- and free -- and you should support them. You should be submitting your poems to them anyway. Stirring, 2River, Wild River Review, Opium Magazine, JMWW, Adirondack Review -- just search these names to get a really excellent start. There's plenty more where those came from. I happen to like a newer journal called Typo, their tenth issue now online is full of good poems. The point is -- its free, there's good material to be read, and once you're familiar with a journal you'll be better equipped to submit to them. And then get p-p-p-paid by Wild. Big money. Like, a pint of beer big.  | ||
| Ros Badcoe
Member Username: endolith Post Number: 54 Registered: 03-2008 |
M,Amazon.com certainly do ship overseas, but I think to the UK would add at least $8 to the cost, plus there are unspecified customs duties to be paid at this end (and it's slow!). I would normally use the UK site or another supplier (www.bookdepository.co.uk are good for poetry). They often do stock US titles, but of course out of print items are harder to find. WF: ooh, beer! I will check out those journals. There's just so much stuff out there... plus it's occurred to me that if I want to really participate in this forum rather than just chatting, I'm going to have to write some poems! | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 29262 Registered: 11-1998 |
Thanks for the link to the UK bookdepository resource, Ros. I did check on the availability of the Night Out: Poems about Hotels, Motels, Restaurants, and Bars anthology just out of curiosity, and saw that they take you to Amazon.co.uk, but the book is considerably more expensive there (starts at £14.79 used). Such a shame it has to be that way and that shipping costs are so high. A library over there may have it, but I'd guess that would be a longshot since I don't think it was a wildly popular bestseller. Nevertheless, I will keep the bookdepository resource in my files. In some cases, I'm sure it will come in very handy. Love, M | ||
| Vienna
Senior Member Username: vienna Post Number: 702 Registered: 11-1998 |
Hey Ros I have ordered a few books from Amazon (and their re-sellers) latest was The Writing Experiment by Hazel Stearns, as it was too expensive to buy in the uk  never paid any customs duties on books, and the postage was very reasonable and more than made up for the bargains I was getting. Generally I am waiting between 10-14 days for a US order....maybe I've been lucky tho? Hope this helps V If wishes were horses..... | ||
| Ros Badcoe
Member Username: endolith Post Number: 60 Registered: 03-2008 |
Hi V, Hey, another Yorkshire person! Did you order recently? I had heard adherence to custom duties had been tightened up recently, and could be quite expensive. Maybe I should order from the US. I've been spoilt though, as I usually go for the free postage. | ||
| Fred Longworth
Senior Member Username: sandiegopoet Post Number: 3655 Registered: 05-2006 |
Ros, trust what Vienna says. She was born five years before the Battle of Hastings, and by now she knows everything. Fred Unofficial Forum Pariah recent victim of alien abduction | ||
| Ros Badcoe
Member Username: endolith Post Number: 61 Registered: 03-2008 |
All people from Yorkshire know everything. Surely everyone knows that... (Message edited by endolith on April 02, 2008) | ||
| SarahJ
Intermediate Member Username: sarahj Post Number: 399 Registered: 02-2007 |
Jane Kenyon kicks Linda Pastan's ass, by the way. If you like poetry grounded in the familiar, but jacked up and exalted, try Kenyon if Pastan appealed to you. I'm sure you'd like Kooser, too. Good stuff. Amazon has a British site: www.amazon.co.uk with that you'd avoid long waits and customs. which suck.  the rain in my purse | ||
| Ros Badcoe
Member Username: endolith Post Number: 65 Registered: 03-2008 |
Thanks, Sarah, just had a look for her on the web - impressive, but more openly religious, is that a fair comment? I know the British Amazon site all too well, thanks! | ||
| RobynLynn
Member Username: robynlynn Post Number: 63 Registered: 10-2007 |
O, you MUST read William Stafford ... especially Even in Quiet Places for a lovely cross-section of his work. The Methow River Poems (a set of poems the State of Washington commissioned for the highway into a state park) are just lovely. His books are on sale, too! | ||
| Judy Thompson
Advanced Member Username: judyt54 Post Number: 1040 Registered: 11-2007 |
If you want a good comprehensive and possibly exhaustive list of "must read" poets, check out our profiles and write down all our favorite poets. I think we probably have most of the poets of out there covered, one way or the other.  | ||
| Ros Badcoe
Member Username: endolith Post Number: 67 Registered: 03-2008 |
Thanks for all your suggestions. I do have a look at the profiles when someone's work particularly catches my eye, to see what they consider good. Trouble is, I'm getting back to where I started from, with so many recommendations! Do people ever post threads to start a discussion about a particular poet? I think that would be interesting. | ||
| SarahJ
Intermediate Member Username: sarahj Post Number: 400 Registered: 02-2007 |
That's so interesting that you'd say so. I understand many people consider kenyon a vaguely religious poet, and I can see that reading, but I never read her that way myself. I also second the Wm Stafford suggestion! cheers sarah the rain in my purse | ||
| Vienna
Senior Member Username: vienna Post Number: 703 Registered: 11-1998 |
Lol Ignore Derf (he was three years out anyway) Last US order arrived on my mat this morning, no customs duties on a $24 book. Took 12 days to arrive. Dunno how customs and excise stand, they seem to be a law unto themselves, but Ive never been charged for books. Hi and welcome Ros btw Whereabouts are you? V If wishes were horses..... | ||
| Michael Reed Samford
Member Username: mikesamford Post Number: 54 Registered: 03-2008 |
Ros you might try this hook-up: www.usedbooksearch.co.uk/UK.htm I know nothing about them, just found the link. I thought at length on the future of man, for sanity’s sake, I’ll never do that again. |
