DREAMS OF GLORY: Poems Starring Girls

by Isabel Joshlin--Ed. Glaser ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1995

In her first collection, Glaser (who contributes three excellent poems) crafts a strong selection of 30 poems about what girls are and can be. A third of them falls under the heading of ""Sports,"" although there are mentions of sports in both other sections, arbitrarily titled ""Power"" and ""Dreams of Glory."" Many fine poets, not all of them familiar, are included; the book yields some unforgettable gems. Gertrude Stein's ""I am Rose"" and Kaye Starbird's ""Abigail"" (""Among the roses, she was a thorn"") stand out, as does Eve Merriam seeing in a ""Thumbprint"" her signature: ""My universe key,/my singularity."" Grit and determination are celebrated--from Myra Cohn Livingston's skater who puts spit on a cut knee and ""sticks out the other foot"" to May Swenson's ""Night Practice"" (""My will will remember to will""). Collins contributes a sturdy black-and-white frontispiece as well as realistic illustrations at the beginning of each section. Some of the verse is lightweight, but overall this is a very good collection.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1995

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 47

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1995

Categories: POETRY