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Title: Poets Against the War by Sam Hamill, Sally Anderson ISBN: 1-56025-539-0 Publisher: Nation Books Pub. Date: April, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.43 (7 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: An imperfect necessity.
Comment: I agree with the above reviewer that the best poems often come out of a conflicted self, and the best poems in this collection appear to do just that. A couple reviewers here obviously haven't read all the poems, or they wouldn't claim unanimity among the voices gathered in the anthology. Few of the poems, in fact, offer any easy solutions to an obviously difficult geo-political situation, though some statements of conscience come off as a bit too glib for such a complex issue. These aren't seasoned ambassadors, though; if you want to read a policy-changing work on international intervention read Samantha Powers's "A Problem from Hell." If you want to read an historically pertinent creative reaction to the moral inconsistencies and linguistic atrocities of our current administration, then check out Poets Against the War. These artists give a voice to the many outraged citizens of this country and the world. It is the Bush administration that has attempted to oversimplify our reasons for intervention, and its use of words like "democracy," "freedom," "shock and awe" (sounds alot like another definition for terror) are head on assaults on the sanctity of language. It's no wonder the poets needed to defend their turf, and even though doing so didn't create the best that art can, I commend their outrage, a necessity when so many are either asleep or unable find the means of expression.
Rating: 1
Summary: Poetry and Politics
Comment: The glaring problem with this collection isn't that these poets are against the war, but with the fact that such sure-fire confidence about any subject (be it war, love, nature, or anything) can rarely deliver interesting poetry. Poetry worth reading tends to come out from a conflicted self trying to navigate difficult ambiguites. These poems, for the most part, don't admit moral or ethical ambiguities (which would have been far more interesting, and frankly, reflective of the dividided feelings many or most of us have about this war). Maybe these poets found it cathartic to let off steam, but preaching to the choir wins you no converts and may alienate those on the fence. I'm afraid that this book plays into the hands of those who'd want to characterize poets, or even those just against the war, as simplistic and shrill. And I agree with the previous poster who thinks the "statements of conscience" were a bad idea--who wants to read some poet's puffed-up moralistic scolding? We have nuns and kindergarten teachers for that. Get back to writing poems.
Rating: 5
Summary: An amazing outpouring of voices
Comment: We got this book as a gift, and I was stunned by its power. Some of the poets and writers were long-time favorites: Adrienne Rich, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, WS Merwin, Mary Oliver, Terry Tempest Williams. Most I'd never had heard of. But what struck me was the humanity of the voices--how much they cut through the political abstractions of our time. And the distinctiveness of their voices.
The critical review posted on this site obviously doesn't like the politics of this anthology--he wants a Poets for the War. But contrary to his assertion, this is the farthest collection imaginable from a single monolithic voice--but yes, the participants don't want this war. This is a great book to dip in and out of, browse through for a quick reflection, and use to anchor our humanity in these difficult times.
Paul Loeb
Author Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time
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Title: 100 Poets Against the War by Todd Swift ISBN: 1876857986 Publisher: Salt Publishing Pub. Date: 01 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry by Billy Collins ISBN: 0812968875 Publisher: Random House Trade Pub. Date: 25 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Poets of World War II by Harvey Shapiro ISBN: 1931082332 Publisher: Library of America Pub. Date: 27 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: The Best American Poetry 2003 : Series Editor David Lehman by Yusef Komunyakaa, David Lehman ISBN: 0743203887 Publisher: Scribner Book Company Pub. Date: 09 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: I Am": The Selected Poetry of John Clare by John Clare, Jonathan Bate ISBN: 0374528691 Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Pub. Date: 01 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $17.00 |
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