Blog Archive
Sounding Out Matthea Harvey
I’ve been re-reading Matthea Harvey’s Pity the Bathtub its Forced Embrace of the Human Form, and I found myself going back (and again) to a poem in the middle of the collection, “In Defense of Our Overgrown Garden.” I’ve always liked this poem, partly for the title (Harvey has a way with titles) and partly for the last line, which makes me laugh a little every time. On this read, I was thinking about the structure of the poem (specifically the lines and their breaks) and the relationship of the poem’s structure on the page to how it might be read out loud. - Post Continued
Continue Reading | 0 CommentsInterrogating Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith
I was recently introduced to Patricia Smith’s collection, Blood Dazzler (Coffee House Press, 2008). Knowing little about Smith as a poet beyond her Def Poetry Jam appearances, I have to admit, I was at first somewhat skeptical. A whole book on Katrina? The concept had so much potential for triteness, for assumption and sweeping generality, for theft, for failure. And then I started to read… - Post Continued
Continue Reading | 0 CommentsBook Review: Sherman Alexie's Face
Book Review: Sherman Alexie's Face by Denise Burch
Face (Hanging Loose Press, 2009), the most recent poetry book by Sherman Alexie, is a sometimes strange, sometimes tender, usually funny, always interesting journey through his thought processes: ruminations on such topics as birds, fatherhood, and life on the rez are laid out in a uniquely melodic style. - Post Continued
Continue Reading | 0 CommentsDesigns for the Future
As The International Poetry Library of San Francisco (IPLSF) builds its infrastructure, we can’t help but also look at all the current libraries in our midst. IPLSF plans to build a unique online and onsite community, and a major impact on the physical location is interior design and sustainability. In San Francisco, Friends of the SF Library has done a fabulous job renovating our local branch libraries. The musty scents and decaying images of local libraries have been replaced with inspiring and innovative designs. We too want to communicate that libraries are cool. Soon we will be seeking out proposals for library design concepts—and we plan to stay local for these products and services. - Post Continued
Continue Reading | 0 CommentsInternational Poetry Library San Francisco