elliot_burr's review
5.0
Every now and then I get all Anxiety-of-Influence and decide Ben Lerner is bad actually, but then I go back and read him and, no. He's a truly exceptional artist.
mugren's review
1.0
Everyone has their own definition of poetry. To me, this isn't poetry.
It is a collection of snippets and scribbles. Also, none of the "poems" have a title, which means that some of the poems end up bleeding into one another.
It is a collection of snippets and scribbles. Also, none of the "poems" have a title, which means that some of the poems end up bleeding into one another.
partypete's review
5.0
i was a fan, but i am a fan of most of what ben lerner produces, so maybe i was biased towards liking this. my favorite part compared the events of 9/11 with the experience of 9/11
punkrocknreticence's review
3.0
Ben Lerner has more prestigious fellowships, critical acclaim and awards than I can count on my fingers, but to me this collection was mostly a set of profound, hard-hitting lines packed with affective and political punches, serving as punctuation within whole poems which I really didn't get – but that's on me, and my lack of context(ual comprehension).
Still, I enjoyed this collection. Insight came in bursts, trails, abstraction and metaphors, but it was illuminating on the whole, and I was never bored (at best, only slightly puzzled).
I particularly enjoyed '21 Gun Salute for Ronald Reagan' and 'Mean Free Path'.
Still, I enjoyed this collection. Insight came in bursts, trails, abstraction and metaphors, but it was illuminating on the whole, and I was never bored (at best, only slightly puzzled).
I particularly enjoyed '21 Gun Salute for Ronald Reagan' and 'Mean Free Path'.
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