Richard Jones (5) (1953–)

This is one of the most prolific poetry books of modern day. Richard Jones is highly talented and really takes his readers on a journey into his life and his career. I had the fortunate experience of being taught by Richard Jones, and he practices what he writes. Reading this will only make you a better poet, and will open your mind to a new dimension of poetic writing.

Some things that particurally stand out are his poems on the death of his nephew Andrew which take you into the emotions of show more someone dealing with the death of a close child. The marvelous thing is that Jones's poems do not judge--they simply recreate or reveal the range of human feelings. And very often these poems guide us back from the depths of suffering to a transformed state. In his own words: "Do you know what I think, / drifting off toward dawn? / If, in the garden of the world, / there's such a thing as suffering, / I have never suffered." show less

These are examples how poets got ideas, modified them, reconsidered, and finally published a single poem. Each example shows a different sort of process, and each example enriches my experience of the final result.

A quick read.