STORIES I AIN'T TOLD NOBODY YET: Selections from the People Pieces

by Jo Carson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1989

Forty-nine poems derived from conversations in Appalachian Tennessee, most of which are mildly humorous, upbeat, and quaint--for instance, in a monologue a man explains that the splintery furniture his mother used to hate is now prized by his wife as antique, and there's a conversation between a confused old Grandma and her grandchild that ends with Grandma's exasperated query, ""Who do I know that ain't already dead?"" In a preface, Carson admits that these poems are distillations of conversations she's overheard--and although more is required from poetry than this, the disclaimer does distinguish the pieces from mere reportage. The more serious selections are better, but their subjects may not be appropriate to a young audience: one is a graphic description of the progressive stages of wife-beating. Still, while falling between genres and not the best poetry, these do capture dialogue well.

Pub Date: March 1, 1989

ISBN: 1559360275

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Orchard/Watts

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1989

Categories: POETRY