Product Description
Poetry. Chapbook. "A first-wave feminist Ur-text..." --Publishers Weekly. "The publication of Carolyn Kizer's Pro Femina sequence in book form is an event that calls for champagne, essays, discussions, a prize or two: above all, celebration" --Marilyn Hacker. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Grausam aber genial, einfach brilliant.
Das Buch ist zwar hart an der Grenze des ertraeglichen, dennoch ist es brilliant und mit atemberaubender brizans verfasst, ein weiteres Meisterwerk von Akif Pirincci, weiterdenken heisst das Motto in d,iesemBuch. Die Karakteranalysen zeugen in jeder Phase von der Genialitaet Akifs.Es sollte gelesen werden, trotz Laenge und trotz Brutalitaet. ... Read more

Product Description

Selected as a "Best Book of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times and Booklist magazine, and winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award, Cool, Calm, and Collected is a tour de force from one of the nation’s premier poets. For four decades, Carolyn Kizer has been one of the most influential, controversial, and recognizable figures in American poetry. A feminist practically before the term existed, she has never been afraid to say what is on her mind, writing poems infused with sexual politics, social awareness, and literary irreverence.

Cool, Calm, and Collected was reprinted four times in cloth and became one of Copper Canyon Press’s bestselling titles. It features new poems, work from all of Kizer’s previous volumes, translations "from a dizzying number of poets" (New York Times), and several prose pieces, including "Pakistan Journal" and "My Good Father."

. . . We women,
Outside, breathing dust, are still the Other.
The evening sun goes down; time to fix dinner.
"You women have no major phiolosophers." We know.
But we remain philosophic, and say with the Saint,
"Let me enter my chamber and sing my songs of love."
—from "Pro Femina"

"We cannot do without Kizer and never could—here are four decades of compelling reasons why."—Los Angeles Times

"Carolyn Kizer is a national treasure."—San Francisco Chronicle

"The book will appeal to poetry lovers and activists of all stripes."—Publishers Weekly

"No library should be without this collection."—Booklist (starred review)

Carolyn Kizer, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, was educated at Sarah Lawrence College. She co-founded Poetry Northwest; served as the first director of the Literature Program at the National Endowment for the Arts; was a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets; and has been a poet-in-residence at Columbia, Stanford, and Princeton. Kizer lives in Sonoma, California.

Customer Reviews (1)

Cool, Calm Collection!
Carolyn Kizer has done the world of poetry a favor by issuing another stellar collection of poems for sheer entertainment, soul-pondering, reflection, escape, psyche-pleasure and engagement with the joys of the music of the written word. Her finest piece to date is a villanelle, a poignant commentary on the Gulf War of several years ago. While not included in this collection, it bears reciting here to get an idea of the value of Carolyn's verse:(On a Line from Valery) The whole green sky is dying. the last tree flares/ With a great burst of supernatural rose/ Under a canopy of poisonous airs.

Could we imagine our return to prayers/ To end in time before time's final throes,/ The green sky dying as the last tree flares?

But we were young in judgment, gray in hairs/ Who could make peace; but it was war we chose,/ To spread its canopy of poisoning airs.

Not all our children's pleas and women's stares/ Could steer us from this hell. And now God knows/ His whole green sky is dying as it flares.

Our crops of wheat have turned to fields of tares./ This dreadful century staggers to its close/ And the sky dies for us, its poisoned heirs.

All rain was dust. Its granules were our cares./ Throats burst as everywhere winter arose/ To kill the whole green sky. The last tree bears/ Within its canopy ripe poisoned pears.

Enjoy this newest work of art by as talented a poet as they come. ... Read more

Product Description
Theodore Roethke was one of the most famous and outpoken poets and poetry teachers this country has ever known. In this volume of selected prose, Roethke articulates his commitments to imaginative possibilities, offers tender advice to young writers, and zings darts at stuffed shirts, lightweights and fools. Culled from volumes long out of print, On Poetry and Craft will be prized in the classroom-and outrageous Roethke quotes will once again pepper our conversations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Creativity is Hard to Teach
I found the poet's thoughts quite helpful and not as self-indulgent as other reviewers. I think Roethke also considered himself to be an artist at teaching as well as at writing. His was not a case of "those cannot do, teach". He established a style of relating and conveying materials to students with many years of success. Most importantly, no teacher can instruct how to be a good or great writer. Every instructor in the arts faces this dilemma.
I found Roethke's thoughts to have much merit. They aren't obtrusive or intrusive just a catch as catch can if they have meaning for the reader.

So much potential
I bought this book because I admire Roethke's poetry. Unfortunately the best and most interesting part of the book is the excellent foreword written by Carolyn Kizer. She manages to bring him alive - as a teacher, not just as a poet - gives a sense of the enormous excitement that the members of "that extraordinary class of '55" (including Kizer, James Wright, and Jack Gilbert) must have felt. You finish reading the introduction feeling a huge sense of anticipation ... and that's about it.

Roethke on himself is uninteresting. Ego, a couple of aphorisms, some examples (which are worth paying attention to - pity you're struggling to stay awake at this point) and a lot of the sort of waffle that he, by his own repeated insistence, would have completely rejected in poetry. Oh, and a fair bit of cattiness - see the chapter "A Tirade Turning" (what were people thinking when they included this? And why?)

The worst thing about this book is its unevenness. If it was all poorly/boringly/self-indulgently written, then you would be able to dismiss it as the work of someone who "wasn't any good at writing about writing". But then he comes out with sections like "Some notes on rhythm"; one of the most lucid explanations of rhythm effects that I have yet come across.

All in all? An disappointing book, if only because of the brief flashes of how much better it could have been. Too much self-indulgence, too much spite, too much self-congratulation. So much potential unrealised! ... Read more

Product Description
Critical essays about the poet and her work, interviews with Kizer, and poems written in her honor. Kizer's gifts are acknowledged in this book: her humor, her mythological scope, political awareness, satirical wit, feminism, craft, lyricism, her role in shaping literary institutions and her charisma. Carolyn Kizer is a celebration of the poetry itself, of the enduring work that places Kizer in the pantheon of living American poets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

At Last!
This book gives Carolyn Kizer some very long-deserved attention.It is a great introduction to her poetry (now all in her new book Cool, Calm, and Collected.) The essays are excellent and highlight many key aspects of her poetry, from feminism and her Chinese translations to her sense of humor.There is also a wonderful selection of poems in her honor by Creeley, Clifton, Kumin, and others. And the interviews are a blast.What a woman! ... Read more

Product Description
Poems by a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet--her first in ten years--ranges from light verse to narrative lyrics to parody and explores the topics of love, passion, vanity, and feminist awareness. Simultaneous. IP. Amazon.com Review
Carolyn Kizer writes with wit and, well, it's not a word I usea lot, but panache. I've always admired her light verse and wryobservations (from "Suppressing the Evidence": "I donot turn on the news. / I and the wine will blot it out."), butI've also come to appreciate the depth in her more seriouswork. "An American Beauty" addresses a friend's battle withcancer, and uses form very well to heighten both the tension andempathy of the reading experience. The title of this collection refersboth to the musicality of Kizer's writing and to the harpy-like stingin some of her work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Poetry Again
To read these poems is to rediscover why you loved poetry in the first place.Here you will find technique, intelligence, and accessibility.How often can you say that about modern poetry?

Surprisingly poor.
A surprisingly poor collection of poems. I couldn't find one poem that was especially moving, had an original point of view, or provided an interesting turn of phrase. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review
Clever, funny, a little gossipy, and always interesting,Carolyn Kizer's "proses" about poetry are a heck of a lot offun to read. Marge Piercy? "The very model of a modern majorfeminist." Denise Levertov? "The next time she goes to jail,I'm going with her." Robert Hass? "A romantic of thebreakfast table." Kizer's deep affection for her fellow poetsshines through in these essays, and her story about Gary Snyder isdeeply moving. The essays are also serious and insightful, and Kizer'swriting is fresh and inviting. Maxine Kumin calls the book"graceful, tough, and rewarding." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A wonderful book.
I go to a somewhat conservative boarding school and lent this book to one of my writing teachers, who previously had said that there is no way that a political poem can be heartfelt. This book proves that notion wrong.Normally when people think about politics, they only think about who isrunning for office, but there is so much more than that in this book. Thisbook should be available in every library in both the poetry and politicalsection. This is an inspiring book that speaks not only to the mind, but tothe heart.

Will Work for Peace is a triumph of poetic Davids.
As one of the poets featured in Will Work for Peace, one might expect me to be a bit biased, but nothing could be farther from the truth.Mostpoets work in a virtual vacuum, only tenuously connected to each other bythe occasional workshop or shared membership in a 'poetry society'.WhenBrett Axel first approached me for a submission to an anthology he wasconsidering, the names Marge Piercy, Lyn Lifshin, Moshe Bennaroch and somany others were abstractions to me as a fledgling poet.I knew thesetremendous writers were 'out there' somewhere, beating down doors withtheir words and keeping a struggling artform alive.But to think thatsomeday I would ever share a credit with these dynamic modern poets wouldbe a pipe dream at best.It is through the sincere efforts of Brett Axelthat many newer voices like mine have an extraordinary opportunity toappear with Pulitzer Prize winners and other poetic heavyweights. Byway of an honest review, however, I will say this- not everything in thisbook will be to your particular liking.I myself came across some worksthat did not move me in the way the author may have intended.Some imagerycan be raw and visceral, using shock value in place of craft at times.Butto ignore those voices would be an even more shocking turn of events, sopraise be to the editor for not sacrificing his vision to a senselessconformity.As Pete Seeger so aptly put it in his quote, trying to readall these poems at one time would be like trying 'to swallow Manhattanwhole'.I say to you- buy this book, read this book, but understand thatit's what you do after reading this book that will ultimately define whoyou could be.Poetry is alive and well, and lives in the blunt pages ofWill Work for Peace.

Good work!
This book has been a long time coming. Brett Axel has really contributed to the poetry world in a way that is noticed, rather than swept into acorner. Many of the poems are good, some are great. Not all the poets arefamous, but most of them contributed good work. I liked Amy Ouzoonian's andBrett's poems, as well as "Pinaud's Tonic" by Michael Pollick. Irecommend reading that one. The only criticism I would have of the bookis of the extreme scatalogical nature of some of the poems, which do notseem to fit with the theme of the anthology, and would, perhaps, be betterin collections by that particular poet, rather than in such an anthology.But, overall, it is a great work.

Thumbs Up
Just amazing start to finish!I like the disregard for fame used in putting the book together.That great poems got in even if they were writtenby nobodys.Look at Roger Bonair-Agard's poem on page 74.Shortly after Will Work For Peace came out he won Slam Nationals, becoming Slam Champion of 1999, which will be getting him lots of offers.But Zeropanik Press didn't need to be told he was good by an award.They could tell by his writing!Good forthem and good for all of us because Will Work For Peace is a literary milestone. It's a new standard for all future anthology editors to try to live up to. Thumbs up to Brett Axel and Thumbs up to Zeropanik Press for their guts and integrty.

Good reading
I liked this book.It has some of the best poetry I've ever seen in it.I especially liked the poems by Marge Piercy, Antler, Diane di Prima, and Susan Griffin, but all of it was good.I think there was only one or twothat I didn't like at all and they were short.I'd give it 5 stars but thetype was kind of small and I'd rather it be easier to read.My eyes aren'twhat they were when I was 30. ... Read more

Product Description

The Penn Greek Drama Series presents original literary translations of the entire corpus of classical Greek drama: tragedies, comedies, and satyr plays. It is the only contemporary series of all the surviving work of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander.

This volume includes translations Deborah H. Roberts (Ion), J. T. Barbarese (Children of Heracles), Katharine Washburn and David Curzon (The Madness of Heracles), Carolyn Kizer (Iphigenia in Tauris), and Greg Delanty (Orestes).

Customer Reviews (2)

Vintage Kizer
Carolyn Kizer never disappoints, never falls below the standard she has set for herself.Here we find craftsmanship and originality of thought.This is a head and a heart trip.

A boring collection
This collection of poems makes no demands and offers no insights. I kept waiting for an original idea or amemorable line,but there weren't any. ... Read more

Product Description
The winner of the 1985 Pulitzer Prize in poetry for "Yin" presents the second volume in this popular anthology series, showcasing relatively unknown poets as well as greats such as Emily Dickinson, Willa Cather, and Sylvia Plath.Amazon.com Review
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carolyn Kizer has compiled the 100best poems by women, from the 15th century to the present. Althoughthe book contains many of the obvious choices -- poems by Marianne Moore,Sylvia Plath,Emily Dickinson, andAdrienne Rich -- itis Kizer's selection of lesser-known but extraordinary poets that makes this collection stand out. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great browsing book
Kizer had to make difficult decisions when choosing only 100 poems to represent over 100 years worth of women poets. But what we end up with is 100 female poets, each with a strong unique voice. It's a wonderful anthology in which to discover new authors and revisit old favorites. Important and enjoyable.

extreem love
some time we have to admired things which we don't have ,which indeed don't mean much for those who have it . we allways look biynd our sight,egnoring what in btween . some time we don't entermidate our insidefeeling towards those who we exteemly love .we semply lose them in thefranteer suspiose. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

What a disappointment.
I was looking forward to reading this new book by Kizer, but what a disappointment. Page after page is hopelessly ordinary. Nothing stands out as especially arresting or original. Her early work had vitality andsubtlety which, in this book, has been replaced by surprisingly stalelanguage and a tone of self-satisfaction. ... Read more

Product Description
poetry from various countries, tr Kizer ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

1 poet, voices from 5 nations
Carolyn Kizer is a skilled poet in her own right (Pulitzer prize, 1985 for Yin), but here translates works in 5 different languages.She says she is "only an occasional and amateur translator", but the poems here all ring true.I was most impressed withthe poems from 8th century China,by Tu Fu.They have a Taoist sound "Clouds drift among the towers.Along again,
I burn the draft of another memorandum" that somehow refresh this modern office worker."Like a knife in a melon, Autumn slices Summer."The book ends with modern Chinese poems from Shu Ting, which meld with the modern "Wild swan: my temperament, / You vow to confront winter, unprotected /
Even with a bullet wound /
Rather than linger in the cage of Spring."

The two Yiddish poems are from the modern poet Rachel Korn "Let me pillow myself on the book of my peregrinations".

The Pakistan "journal" appears from 1969, and seems a little too personal, dusty, and gritty, but somehow complements the exotic Faiz Ahmed Faiz poems "Every drop is the fury of a cobra."

For an unknown reason, the African poems include the French originals,and speak of exile and roots "know the substance of exile;/ on the sea, wind and thunder/ recognizing all the roots / of the trees that rejects me".

This book is a good poetic travelogue.

Pulitzer Prize
This book is NOT the book she won her Pulizer Prize for (now, you gohunting) but it shows that class of art. One of the few "free"translators of Chinese poetry whose work has been approve (in public and inpublication) by Chinese scholars. And there's more. You would do well tosimply buy everything this poet has in print. Try Mermaids in The Basement. ... Read more

Product Description
"Throughout the many poems about New Haven, his home, Greene contrasts the ordinary or sinister life of the city with the rarefied atmosphere of the university, to telling effect. . . His poetry is suffused with what used to be called 'social conscience.' Although Wallace Stevens seems to be his master, I am reminded of the poems of James Wright, but without a trace of sentimentality. And there is something about Greene's tone of voice -- almost casual, yet informed by the closest kind of observation. This is lovely writing, precise observation, tender yet realistic. I admire these poems and recommend them." -- from the Foreword ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

beautiful, graceful poetry about life in a city
Jeffrey Greene's images, many of New Haven, Connecticut, are haunting.He shows you a new way of seeing scenes we've often only glimpsed on the evening news. ... Read more