In his new book, poet Charles Simic employs his customary strategies, but he seldom achieves the intensity he once did.
Poetry
Poetry Review: “Frozen Charlotte” — Plenty of Pleasure
In Frozen Charlotte, Susan de Sola provides readers with enough aesthetic pleasure and thoughtful commentary about today’s world to remind us of just how good — and necessary — poetry can be.
Poetry Review: “Casting Deep Shade” — On Humanity and the Beech Tree
C.D. Wright has woven a poetic text that mirrors the tangled intimacy between humans and the beech, in all of its violence, its confusion, and its beauty.
Arts Remembrance: Poet W. S. Merwin — An Appreciation
W.S. Merwin remained politically as well as artistically motivated all his life, often proclaiming the vital importance of activism.
Poetry Review: “Peaches Goes It Alone” — A Comic Ode to the Age of Trump
In the age of truthiness, poet Frederick Seidel’s is a welcome voice.
Author Interview: Writer Clive James — Writing Against the Dying of the Light
Imagine a combination of Stephen Colbert (the real one, that is) and John Updike.
Jazz CD Preview and Survey: Years of Utter Beauty, Part 2
Part one of this survey looked at one upcoming performance and five CDs where music takes the leading role. This post looks at the other side of the coin, where the words are the wellspring for the music.
Jazz CD Preview and Survey: Years of Utter Beauty, Part 1
2018 saw the release of four ambitious and powerful jazz releases driven by poetic texts.
Arts Remembrance: Poet Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver’s poetic vision reaches back to the American transcendentalists: it encourages us, by demanding that we pay attention to our now threatened natural world, to find a moral compass.
Poetry Review: Leonard Cohen’s “The Flame” — The Errant Canadian Comes Home
Leonard Cohen reinforces this dedication to lyricism with striking humility in his final book.