Poetry Book Reviews

A poetic guide for choosing an authentic life against a global backdrop of injustice, Side Steps Terrorizing Sound Bites by Amy Jean is a creative and powerful collection, accompanied beautifully by illustrations from Eric Savage.

With the underlying theme of taking control of one’s life, rather than being swept along with the systems in place, these poems are empowering, accusatory, curious, and fearless. The subject matter of these lyrical passages varies wildly, from the wonders of the natural world to inequality of all kinds, yet each of the poems in this extended “chime” feel carefully constructed, without wasting words.

Jean […]

In the first, eponymous selection in the engaging collection, Perfectly Round Ripples, poet Johnny Flaherty recalls throwing three objects into a pond—a golf ball, a jagged stone, and “an old sneaker with laces missing.” They all splashed differently, but then, each one

…made perfectly round ripples

that traveled all the way

to the farthest shores

From this Flaherty suggests that our deeds, whether good or bad, will likewise make equal, round ripples in the cosmic sea – a motif reflecting the serene and emotive nature of these poems. He often returns to water, to the sea, for inspiration, as […]

A short but significant collection of ideas, memories, and imaginings are offered in the varied and expressive work of poetry, Gates by Jay Green.

The volume opens with a reflection on judging and condemning others, “Namesake.” The poet suggests that trust and forgiveness play a role in finding balance and “braving any distance” between people. “Sunset on the Bayou” paints the lovely perception that “Someone dropped ice cream on my Louisiana sky,” inviting him to relax and watch the celestial substance melt. An interesting take on writing is explored in “Penmanship” in which, as a child, Green tried to imagine […]