Joan Murray (2) (1945–)

This was very much an impulse buy. An ad popped up on my Facebook feed, from a publisher I feel an attachment to despite not having read many of their books (Beacon). I agree with their mission, I suppose. And the concept of this book was right up my alley. I have a hard time finding poetry books to buy and feel I should buy more. I was an easy sell. I pushed the buy button immediately.

I don't know if I would go so far as to say that I regret the purchase, but I certainly feel let down. The show more introduction spoke of "needing these words." That poets can "rouse us from our torpor and persuade us to act." But where was that fire? I appreciated a few pieces from this collection in that way, but not nearly enough. On average -- it felt rather safe.

But to celebrate those that shone: "Those Destroyed by Success" by William Dickey. Actually, nearly the entire section whose heading shares that title. And of course e.e. cummings, "next to of course god america i." "For Those Dead, Our Dead," by Ernesto Cardenal skewers. "Conscientious Objector" by Edna St. Vincent Millay stirs. Enough that I probably will hang on to this small volume. But will be unlikely to press it feverishly into the hands of others. show less

A very good collection of poetry from the last 30 years, all selected from winners of the Pushcart Prize. Some excellent poetry, much very good, and some that left me cold.

The best poet in the volume whom I was not already familiar with has to be Li-Young Lee, whose poem "Furious Versions" stunned me.

A lot of times edited anthologies of poetry are nothing but schmaltzy romanticism and love poems. I am not too interested in that. This slim volume is different. Joan Murray collected poems to live by in the wake of 9/11. She has here poems by some of my favorite poets: Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, Daniel Berrigan, Jane Kenyon, Czeslaw Milosz, and more. I think all these poems are 20th century, they are mostly from English speaking poets, though several poems appear in translation.

Joan show more Murray's own poem, "Survivors--Found" stands at the head of the collection. The poems are organized into five sections covering the themes of: death and remembrance, affirmations and rejoicing, warnings and instructions, wars and rumors of wars, and meditations and conversations.

Because this is a library copy, I just want to make note of a few poems I want to come back to:

1. Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Time Does Not Bring Relief"
   
2. Jennifer Michael Hecht's "September"
   
3. Muriel Rukeyser's "St. Roach"
   
4. Billy Collins, "Passenger"
   
5. Miguel De Unamno's "Throw Yourself Like Seed."
   
6. W.H. Auden's "Leap Before You Look"
   

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in uncertain times