Three books* down, one to go.
Walkies first. The body doesn't understand why it's suddenly all full of existentialist wonder and melancholy... but it does "understand" a good breeze and the heady scent of leaves and bark in the late afternoon sun.
(*Two were more like prose poems than traditional narratives, mind you - and now I'm all itchy to write poetry. Does that happen to you, @stephen_a_allen, when reviewing a book of poetry? Does it immediately make you reach for a blank page yourself?)
@MLClark Not just reviewing, but simply reading a book of poetry tends to spark creativity. The same does not generally happen with prose, which may go some way to explaining why my muse has been quiet recently. I need to pick up some poetry and get reading (and writing).
Is there anything on your radar, with respect to newer volumes, or are you thinking of returning to an older text?
(I have a huge hankering to go back to some Lowell next, myself.)
@MLClark Funny you should mention Lowell: I got about halfway through his complete poems a few years ago (okay, maybe a decade ago), and I was thinking recently that I should go back and finish. I also must shyly confess that I haven't yet read Diane Suess' latest. And I do have another book to review waiting in the wings. And several stacks of other poetry volumes hanging around the house.
!!! Shall we bookclub Lowell, then?
(Maybe not right away; I still have five books in queue for reviews. But... October, perhaps?)
@MLClark
That's an excellent idea! The Lowell complete is arranged by individual volume, so we could pick up one of the later ones when I get to it. Or we can just pick individual poems.
Beautiful. You let me know which one, and I'll try to secure its ebook version.
But I do hope that you stumble upon a few gems from more recent volumes in the interim, too! (And post about them here!)
🤗 Also, always so good to touch base with you, Stephen. Big hugs from afar. I hope you're having a lovely end of summer.