This seems like a fantastic book for beginner poets. If you're just starting out on your poetic journey, pick up a copy of this book for inspiration and advice. If you've already been writing for years, you might want to look elsewhere for inspiration, as some of the suggestions offered would be obvious to anyone but the absolute novice. Overall, a good resource. ( )

Karch writes about poetry for non-poets. She moves poetry from an often-intimidating form of literature reserved for the academic and prestigious to an accessible resource for confidence, justice, and social mobility. The book remains hopeful and driven (even if not always realistic in its ideals) and ignites a blaze of passion to start writing. ( )

Amanda Karch writes clearly and enthusiastically about how poetry can be a tool for self-discovery and personal change. She cites research, her own experience, and the experiences of others to illustrate how poetry can help individuals explore their thoughts and emotions, build confidence, and find their voice. Each chapter ends with exercises to help the reader experience the themes discussed in the chapter. Karch describes various poetry styles. It would have been helpful if she had provided examples of the different styles used as tools for self-exploration. The target audience for the book is women. However, men will also benefit from reading the book. ( )

I think your impression of this book will depend, to a certain extent, upon your age. Amanda Karch is much younger than I am - in her mid-twenties, it seems, and although I know it makes me sound ancient, I find myself wanting to say something about 'the breathless enthusiasm of youth', after reading it. It's an inspiring book, because Amanda has so much faith in herself, and poetry, to change the world, in a way that I know it can, but which I still have trouble remaining as optimistic about as she does. It reads in some ways like a school paper, which is not a derogatory remark so much as a statement - the book is peppered with anecdotes about so-and-so, who teaches at X College, and has started a groundbreaking poetry program, along with quotes from these luminaries and their admirers. You can tell that Karch has done her research about these folks, and they do serve as illustrative examples of the ways in which poetry can be life-transformative, for both readers and writers. I liked the book, even though it did have a school paper tone at times, and I hate it that I am reviewing it this way - jaded, and maybe taking unfounded issue with her tone. It makes me want to write more poetry, and maybe it will do the same for you, which I believe is its intended goal. Not a bad book. ( )