4thace reviewed The book of men by Dorianne Laux
Review of 'The book of men' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This is the first book of poems I have read by this author, though I was very familiar with the instructional poetry book The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry she wrote with Kim Addonizio. Some of the poems seem to come from deeply felt memory, some prompted by events or in response to some news story, and some seem purely imagined. There are three poems which repeat a group of sounds at the end of each line in powerful consonance but this is the most formal structure I noticed. The first half of the book take for their subjects a number of male figures, ones from personal encounters, celebrities, one fictional character, and one poem about men as a group. The second half ranges over a wider set of topics. She can write with lyricism or with a rhythmic telegraphic style, applying keen observation whether …
This is the first book of poems I have read by this author, though I was very familiar with the instructional poetry book The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry she wrote with Kim Addonizio. Some of the poems seem to come from deeply felt memory, some prompted by events or in response to some news story, and some seem purely imagined. There are three poems which repeat a group of sounds at the end of each line in powerful consonance but this is the most formal structure I noticed. The first half of the book take for their subjects a number of male figures, ones from personal encounters, celebrities, one fictional character, and one poem about men as a group. The second half ranges over a wider set of topics. She can write with lyricism or with a rhythmic telegraphic style, applying keen observation whether detached or startlingly personal.
It was a great read, something I'd like to go back over and see whether I can mine for tricks I can use myself.