THE PLACE MY WORDS ARE LOOKING FOR: What Poets Say About and Through Their Work

by Paul B.--Ed. Janeczko ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1990

Thirty-nine contemporary poets are represented by 63 poems in this fine collection from a noted anthologist (Going Over to Your Place, 1987), himself a poet (Brickyard Summer, 1989); each poet also contributes a brief essay on personal sources of inspiration. The poems, many of them culled from recent poetry magazines or small press books, are fresh and of high quality, as well as being accessible and of interest to children. The essays are wonderfully provocative: ""I write poetry [because] the sound of words, their taste on my tongue, is irresistible,"" says Bobbi Katz. Jim Daniels, who had a speech defect as a child, liked ""the paper that didn't make fun of what I said or how I said it."" In seventh grade, Ronald Wallace was bowled over by discovering Dickinson's ""terror and joy and exhilaration and surprise and whimsy [so that] when the bell rings I don't hear it."" Paul Zimmer wrote ""Yellow Sonnet"" in memory of his mother--""a love gift,"" like dandelions from a child. Poems are arranged so that the ideas grow; photo portraits of the poets picture them as friendly and approachable. An inspiration and a delight. Index.

Pub Date: April 1, 1990

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 150

Publisher: Bradbury

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1990

Categories: POETRY