Wednesday Book Reviews

On Wednesdays Mr. U and I are going to review books. Most likely, at least for me, it is not going to be a new book because, really, aren't there enough people out there reviewing new books? Ok, maybe occasionally I might do a talk about a new one but most likely it will be at least 5 years old. Besides, who can afford new books when you are a poor college student and you have a daughter who wears nothing but Abercrombie & Fitch or "Pink" from Victoria's Secret? I have to settle for getting a free book at The Book Thing, which, by the way, is a wicked cool place to go if you are a teacher. Mr U., who teaches the wee ones, gets a lot of his books for the classroom from there. If you are thinking of donating those books in the attic please give this organization a consideration! On with the reviews!!

Return to the City of the White Donkeys by James Tate

I haven't finished even half of this book yet, and it's already the best book of poetry I've ever read. And don't misunderstand, it isn't that I don't like poetry, because there are several poets I enjoy. Rather, it's that James Tate has written something so unique here that I'm a bit startled and more than a little envious. Not since I first read Bukowski have I so wished I had written a book someone else wrote. But while Bukowski took inspiration from the grit and grind of every day life, Tate pulls poetry seemingly out of nowhere. His characters' behaviors frequently seem random and their conversations are generally unlike any you're ever likely to hear in life. But somehow, the poems either wind their way around to making beautiful sense in the end, or they don't, but either way they're almost always hilarious. Reading these poems makes me first laugh, then think and finally wonder what the hell just happened. Click on the above title link to sample some of the poems. "The Memories of Fish" is a favorite. -Mr. U