Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Best Poetry Books of 2009 - Donald Illich

Donald Illich's suggestions:

Slamming Open the Door by Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno (Alice James Books)
So gripping I read it in one sitting. Tells the story of the author's daughter's murder and its aftermath. The poetry itself is moving and flawless.

Shannon: A Poem of the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Campbell McGrath (Ecco)
Addictive in a different way, this book tells story of a soldier on Lewis and Clark Expedition who gets lost for weeks in the wildnerness. There's plenty of room in the story for beautiful verse on nature and discovery, as well as meditations on God and country.

Dark Things by Novica Tadic (BOA Editions)
Short, sharp poems that are dark as obsidian, but are like popcorn. It's hard to stop with one and not read the whole book.

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Donald Illich has published poetry in LIT, The Iowa Review, No Tell Motel, and other journals.

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