b_p's review
3.0
Overall, I would give this collection a B average (technically an 84.6% avg.) as far as the quality of the poems contained. I know that attempting to quantify poetic effect/value is a ridiculous gesture, but I am simply a ridiculous person. Of course, this is purely based off of my own tastes and will not necessarily reflect your average satisfaction rate. I started a mission in October of 2016 to read the entire Best American Poetry series so that I can begin to get a better sense of A) what my taste in poetry is, and B) my own poetic voice.
Masterpieces (6)
Jamey Dunham, Urban Myth
Edward Field, In Praise of My Prostate
Richard Garcia, Adam and Eve's Dog
Kay Ryan, Home to Roost
Mary Jo Salter, Costanza Bonarelli
James Tate, The Swing
Masterful (8)
Ruth Herschberger, Remorse After a Panic Attack in a Wisconsin Field, 1975
Donald Justice, A Chapter in the Life of Mr. Kehoe, Fisherman
James Richardson, All the Ghosts
Mary Ruefle, How I Became Impossible
Julie Sheehan, Hate Poem
Charles Simic, Sunlight
Cecilia Woloch, Bareback Pantoum
Matthew Yeager, A Big Ball of Foil in a Small New York Apartment
Masters Candidates (9)
A.R.Ammons, In View of the Fact
George Green, The Searchers
Terrance Hayes, Variations on Two Black Cinema Treasures
Samuel Hazo, Seesaws
Anthony Hecht, Motes A mote it is to trouble the mind's eye.
Galway Kinnell, Shelley
David Wagoner, For a Man Who Wrote **** on a Motel Bathroom Mirror
Richard Wilbur, Some Words Inside of Words (for children and others)
Kevin Young, Black Cat Blues
Overall, I would absolutely to highly recommend approx. 30.6% of the poems contained in this volume.
Masterpieces (6)
Jamey Dunham, Urban Myth
Edward Field, In Praise of My Prostate
Richard Garcia, Adam and Eve's Dog
Kay Ryan, Home to Roost
Mary Jo Salter, Costanza Bonarelli
James Tate, The Swing
Masterful (8)
Ruth Herschberger, Remorse After a Panic Attack in a Wisconsin Field, 1975
Donald Justice, A Chapter in the Life of Mr. Kehoe, Fisherman
James Richardson, All the Ghosts
Mary Ruefle, How I Became Impossible
Julie Sheehan, Hate Poem
Charles Simic, Sunlight
Cecilia Woloch, Bareback Pantoum
Matthew Yeager, A Big Ball of Foil in a Small New York Apartment
Masters Candidates (9)
A.R.Ammons, In View of the Fact
George Green, The Searchers
Terrance Hayes, Variations on Two Black Cinema Treasures
Samuel Hazo, Seesaws
Anthony Hecht, Motes A mote it is to trouble the mind's eye.
Galway Kinnell, Shelley
David Wagoner, For a Man Who Wrote **** on a Motel Bathroom Mirror
Richard Wilbur, Some Words Inside of Words (for children and others)
Kevin Young, Black Cat Blues
Overall, I would absolutely to highly recommend approx. 30.6% of the poems contained in this volume.
leaflibrary's review
3.0
Took this to jury duty because the last poem starts, "I showed up for jury duty..." It got me through the whole day and gave me interesting topics to think about while waiting in crowded rooms.
mattie's review
3.0
Only a few poems really jumped out at me, but I still really enjoy how this series includes notes from the authors on their anthologized poem, which are often really funny or really illuminating.
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