Curiosities --by William Matthews

Non fiction / essays on poets and poetry

172 pages

4 Stars

I enjoyed the personal essays more than the ones about others. That's not to say the others weren't interesting, they were. But they also didn't grab me quite as immediately. I especially enjoyed the first one, Long Shadows, and think it set me up to think the rest of the book would be more about him and less about others. Travel was delightful and brought back many memories, and the Poet's Alphabet was great fun.

As another reviewer stated, it works as an appreciation for the middle, and I'm from the coast (west). I came to this book unfamiliar with Matthews' poetry, and now look forward to reading some. There was nothing earth-shattering to be found therein, but it made a great night-time read. An interesting read.

Ruining the New Road –Poems by William Matthews

Poetry

76 Pages

5 Stars

Each reader brings her, or his, own stories to whatever is being read, and when Part I did not speak to me, I kept reading. Parts II and III were just what the doctor ordered. These poems not only spoke to me, they sang to me. The good news is, the next time I read Part I, I know I will be in a different place, and then those poems may sing to me.

Matthews takes us on a road through Living. From throwing "...the morning over/ our left shoulders/" to breathing "...back/ at the coffee,/" and everything in between. Some days are good, and some not so much, but the poetry will carry you through to the end.

It's a good book, worth the investment of both money and time.