Sally's Picks

This prize-winning collection contains the poetry of a man who has lived his life thoughtfully and reflectively, and has grown through experience. The poetry is lyrical, imaginal and accessible.

From Now After So Many Days:

now i come into the room where

i have not known how to work and find three long hours waiting; the sunlight;

the vast heavy sadness i knew would

call to me. and in my gratitude i begin

to weep, and then, wiping my tears,

sit down to write these lines, to

tell you of this, the strange aching freedom.

Jane Kenyon died in 1995 at the age of 48. Despite her early death, she left us a significant body of work. Her sparse style makes her poetry accessible; regardless, the deep and sometimes dark emotions she evokes are highly palpable.

Having It Out with Melancholy

1 From the Nursery

When I was born, you waited behind a pile of linen in the nursery, and when we were alone, you lay down on top of me, pressing the bile of desolation into every pore.

Because I am botanist, my friends frequently ask me for advice about their plants and gardens. It is important to know what your plants are feeling to best meet their needs. (In contrast to Michael Pollan, I believe that plants can feel but not think; see BOTANY OF DESIRE). A good first step toward understanding plants is to read this well illustrated, clearly written book for the layperson.

Written in the 1890s, the THE ODD WOMEN is an early feminist novel - written by a man. The women are odd because they are unmarried and struggling to get by in a society that has little use for them. This is a book of social realism and vividly portrays a culture on the brink of change. It has been suggested that this is from where Gail Godwin got the idea and title for her wonderful, early novel THE ODD WOMAN.

There are seven narrators, each advancing the plot and lending ambiguity to some of the previous narrator's contributions. I found myself surprised by the way in which my sympathy shifted, and quite surprised by the ending. The writing is wonderful and arouses many emotions.

I was not able to read this without taking a break every now and then, but even during these breaks I thought a lot about the ideas and the characters in the book.

Stay with it - it's worth it!

Dust off your Yiddish dictionary and jump right into this artfully written tale of the Jews in the Federal District of Sitka. This is the story of superbly drawn characters fighting for their lives and their honor. There is humor, pathos, and above all, absolutely beautiful language.

I often hesitate to read posthumously published material, but this is a wonderful volume. The 1st two short stories are the equal of anything he has written, and there are some very interesting essays. There is also a short biographical piece about his father. Additionally, Ray Carver is one of my favorite poets, and he talks about why he writes poetry & provides comments on some of his poems.

If you are a Carver fan, do read this. If you are not yet a fan, read some of his fiction or poetry, and you soon will be.

I got my first copy of this a long time ago, and it is still one of my FAVORITE books! I can look up a literary term, an author, or a book, and find all sorts of interesting information about it. For fun, I can pick it up and open it to any page, and I always learn something. If you're a book geek like I am, I guarantee that you will love it!