Poetry Book Reviews

With thoughtful grace and the sage wisdom of a life well-lived, Point to Counterpoint: Poetic Reflections on Life, Love and Passion by poet Mel D. Gill is a remarkable collection of poems spanning a dizzying array of subjects. With a unique structure and intentional interaction with the reader, this book boasts an original presentation from a clearly practiced poet.

Divided into eleven themed chapters, this is not merely a collection of poetry, but also contains small, powerful essays and musings, often supported and bolstered by the wise words of others. In so many collections, poets simply present their work, leaving […]

Offering readers a brutally honest mirror, Paddle to Paddle is a surprising new collection of poetry from Lois Chapin, a therapist who has channeled her ample wisdom and experience into a raw display of truth-telling and wise insight.

When most poets embark on releasing a new body of work, it is with a general theme in mind, an intention for their verses, some message they want to share, even if that message is opaque or buried in metaphor. There are other poets, however, like Chapin, who touch on life in all of its messiness and truth without a clear focus, […]

In the broad and varied tradition of American poetry, there has always been room for aspirations right beside hard truths, for optimism and darkness. In Sweetiebetter, the latest collection of poetry from Terry Michow-Proffitt, this tradition is upheld in stark and surprising fashion, through simple language, deep cultural cuts, and simple themes that percolate into much larger ideas.

Like a mystical journalist, Minchow-Proffitt firmly grounds these poems in the tangible, but there is a surreal subtlety to certain selections, where his thoughts meander outside the real, into the shadowy realms of memory and belief. There are people and muscles […]