A deeply reflective set of poems with a mature perspective.
Walker’s debut poetry collection looks, in part, to the past for reflective verses on life, loss, and human suffering.
These short works tell a story—one that reads like a poetic family memoir, an account of grief and loss, a coming-of-age narrative, and vignettes of adult life and work. The book begins with childhood reflections and shares a raw, sometimes painful picture of an imperfect suburban existence in years gone by. It unfolds to glimpse attentively into the lives of people in pain, with each poem a tale unto itself. Rhythmic, thoughtful language contrasts gritty imagery of liquor stores, and factories, or of a deathbed, as in “The Baby Monitor”: “We bought a baby monitor to hear / my mother in her rented bed / in the living room. / Small red lights followed each breath.” Mortality whispers throughout the book, making an appearance every few pages as a stark reminder, while the author’s free verse poetry paints a grim picture of the world’s injustices. The final poems take a spiritual turn, reflecting on faith and religion, as well as poignant moments in nature, as in “Home Remedy for Writer’s Block,” which reflects on a pond: “Widening ripples / say something perfect / to something perfect / in you.” Walker’s works have a dreamlike quality, with images like scattered puzzle pieces, leaving questions lingering about the texts’ origin and meaning. As a snapshot of the Southern experience, with visits to the industrial North, the collection acknowledges the painful qualities of humanity while also holding space for the beauty of living. Overall, this book flows like a river, one poem into the next, creating a whole narrative that mirrors readers’ own fractured places.
A deeply reflective set of poems with a mature perspective.Pub Date: June 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798987954195
Page Count: 140
Publisher: Saddle Road Press
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.
All right, all right, all right: The affable, laconic actor delivers a combination of memoir and self-help book.
“This is an approach book,” writes McConaughey, adding that it contains “philosophies that can be objectively understood, and if you choose, subjectively adopted, by either changing your reality, or changing how you see it. This is a playbook, based on adventures in my life.” Some of those philosophies come in the form of apothegms: “When you can design your own weather, blow in the breeze”; “Simplify, focus, conserve to liberate.” Others come in the form of sometimes rambling stories that never take the shortest route from point A to point B, as when he recounts a dream-spurred, challenging visit to the Malian musician Ali Farka Touré, who offered a significant lesson in how disagreement can be expressed politely and without rancor. Fans of McConaughey will enjoy his memories—which line up squarely with other accounts in Melissa Maerz’s recent oral history, Alright, Alright, Alright—of his debut in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, to which he contributed not just that signature phrase, but also a kind of too-cool-for-school hipness that dissolves a bit upon realizing that he’s an older guy on the prowl for teenage girls. McConaughey’s prep to settle into the role of Wooderson involved inhabiting the mind of a dude who digs cars, rock ’n’ roll, and “chicks,” and he ran with it, reminding readers that the film originally had only three scripted scenes for his character. The lesson: “Do one thing well, then another. Once, then once more.” It’s clear that the author is a thoughtful man, even an intellectual of sorts, though without the earnestness of Ethan Hawke or James Franco. Though some of the sentiments are greeting card–ish, this book is entertaining and full of good lessons.
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-13913-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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