An illuminating and invaluable guide for beginners wary of modern poetry, as well as for more advanced students who want to sharpen their craft and write poems that expand their technical skills, excite their imaginations, and engage their deepest memories and concerns. Ideal for teachers who have been searching for a way to inspire students with a love for writing--and reading--contemporary poetry.
Steve Kowit believes, and rightly so, that poetry should show, not tell. The same could be said for good teaching, which is what makes this volume so remarkable. In In the Palm of Your Hand Kowit employs more than 100 poems and excerpts to illustrate his discussions on everything from metaphor to meter to metaphysics. Working your way through this book--and it is work--is like sitting in on a terrific creative-writing seminar, minus the criticism (both constructive and destructive) of fellow students. If you go by the book, you'll have written at least 69 poems by the end. Because of its explication of the basic tenets of poetry, In the Palm of Your Hand might be mistaken for a beginners' book only. That would be a shame. There are so many good ideas here that more experienced poets won't want to miss out; Kowit has lots of exciting ways to invigorate one's writing. (Here's a favorite quick tip: "A good rule of thumb is never to use a word that you're proud of.") In the Palm of Your Hand is also recommended for members of writing groups who are interested in imposing some kind of structure on their meetings.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Do you think you know something about Poetry?:
As I started to read this book, I thought I had a pretty good idea about poetry. I was totally wrong. I knew nothing at all. In the foreword to this book Dorianne Laux writes:"I was lucky. And now you can be lucky too". I thought that it sounded promising, but then I did not think more about it. As I started reading and after just a couple of pages, I understood what Dorianne Laux meant. If you hold this book in your hand and if you are prepared to discover what Steve Kowit has to show you about the world... more info
Vaguely pedestrian:
I chose this book because of the glowing reviews. I was disappointed. I expected a discussion of the nature of poetry and how it is constructed. What I got was "A process for recovering memories" (Recall a pleasant time in the past., Recall a building in which you once lived., etc.) I gave this book one star because some of the critiques of the ibcluded poems were interesting although the choices of poems was not. Knowing what I now know, I would pass on this book.
it's this poet's companion:
Since 1996, I have kept this book handy on my nightstand and carried it with me on every vacation I take, just to make sure it is accessible when I am ready to learn more about reading poetry, to improve my writing of poetry, to give myself assignments for writing, or just to read and re-read some of the beautiful samples included inside. I have and have utilized a number of "poetry handbooks," but find this one the best. It is just a great book for anyone interested in poetry from any angle. It is also... more info
Need a Portable Poet Workshop? Here it is!!!!:
Don't have the funds for a Poetry Workshop but want to improve your writing? Here it is! This is a wonderful book. It contains tons of exercises, practices and methods of improving your work! I highly recommend it!
Privacy policy: we don't collect information
about visitors except for the standard technical server logs. We don't send unsolicited emails. We don't
sell the information that we don't collect about you to anyone. When you follow
links to other sites, their privacy policies apply. Thanks for visiting!
