Poetry Reviews (There are several choices. Please scroll down)
1. Comstock Review Poets: Books and Chapbooks: by Jennifer MacPherson (Jennifer's website, click here)
Names are listed in alphabetical order from the link above.
(See further information below on these "mini-reviews."
UPDATES ARE ONGOING, AS TIME PERMITS
Any poet published in Comstock Review who has a book or chapbook in print is invited to send a review copy for this section. When the review is published, links are provided in this section to other work by these poets. Send to the attention of Jennifer MacPherson.
If you prefer a different link to your poetry than the one we are currently using, PLEASE let us know! This section of our web site is devoted to the support of "our" poets and their poetry. We lost link data in our upgrade to A-Z pages in August of 2006. Please write us if there is missing or incorrect data.
(For links to individual poets who feature poetry on their web sites, also see Links section, which began construction in January 2005)
2. The Critics Pen: Click on link to view more extensive reviews by various editors. Then scroll down to view reviews.
Future Ship by Kurt Brown
Red Hen Press 2007 (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 1/08)
Bully in the Spotlight, Docu-Poetry by Jane Herschlag
Pudding House Publications 2007 (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 5/07)
Red Wax Rose by Darlyn Finch
Shady Lane Press 2007 (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 2/07)
Red Jess by Judith H. Montgomery
Cherry Grove Collections: Lyre Series, 2006
(Peggy Sperber Flanders, reviewer, 1/07)
Viewpoint by Juli Nunlist
Hobblebush Books, Brookline, New Hampshire, 2006
(Ellen McNeal, reviewer, 06/06)
Fullest Tide: Poems of Ann Silsbee
edited by Gray Jacobik
Custom Words, 2006 (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 05/06)
Radiance by Barbara Crooker
Word Press, 2005 (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 11/05)
Embellishments by Virginia Chase Sutton
Chatoyant Press, 2003 (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 10/05)
Duties of the Spirit by Patricia Fargnoli
Tupelo Press, 2005 (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 5/05)
The Pest Maiden by Penelope Scambly Schott
Turning Point Press (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 5/05)
The Book of Ga by Ann Silsbee
Custom Words 2003 (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 1/04)
Big Back Yard, Poems by Michael Teig (Peggy Miller, reviewer 6/03)
Orioling by Ann Silsbee
Red Hen Press 2003 (Peggy Miller, reviewer, 6/03)
Take a Deep Breath: The Haiku Way to Inner Peace
by Sylvia Forges-Ryan and Edward Ryan
Kodansha International (Peggy Sperber Flanders, reviewer, 6/03)
Dumb Luck by Sam Hamill,
BOA Editions (Ellen McNeal, reviewer, 1/03)
Sonnets By Degree by Robert K. Engler
Alphabeta Press (Michael L.C. Morgan reviewer)
3. Oyster River Reviews - Jennifer MacPherson reviews the "Walking to Windward" series from Oyster River Press.
Rules for Review in these Sections:
Published books and chapbooks:
1. All review copies should be in published format and are non-returnable.
2. Content, length and opinions stated in these reviews are the opinion of the reviewer and do not necessarially reflect the views of the Comstock Writers' Group, The Comstock Review or any of its subsidiaries.
3. By submitting a book for review, the sender acknowledges that the Comstock Writers' Group does not guarantee that all submissions will be reviewed. As you will note, most of the reviews are by writers formerly featured in either The Comstock Review or Poetpourri (our former name -- not to be confused with Potpourri.)
If you want an assessment by one of our reviewers, send us a copy and take your chances. Include the following information with your review copy:
Poet's Name:
Book Title:
Publisher:
Cost:
Purchasing Information.
Please note: we are not a division of any university, college or organization other than the Comstock Writers' Group, Inc.
Non-Published books and Publisher Proofs:
Kathleen Bryce Niles (CR Editor Emerita) has done a number of book jacket blurbs and apparently has a knack for delivering professional quality reviews. She will not write anything that doesn't reflect the material so if you are self-publishing Aunt Tillie's poems from the 1850s, this is not the reviewer for you.
However, as a courtesy to current and former Comstock Review poets, Kathleen has agreed to review a limited number of books already accepted for publication that require the traditional imprimatur of an editor.
Inquiries should be sent to: kniles1@adelphia.net under the heading Book Jacket Blurbs
Notes from Jennifer MacPherson about her mini book reviews:
Introduction, from Jennifer MacPherson: A search through my bookcase provided many wonderful books and chapbooks by poets whose work has appeared in The Comstock Review. I originally assembled this list from those poets whose work graced my shelves.
The reviews are arranged alphabetically by poet's last name and are added to on an on-going basis as I have time to read and review. Any poet who has ever had a poem published in either The Comstock Review or its predecessor, Poetpourri, is encouraged to send copies for short review and list placement. (You can search the data base for poets names or new reviews by using "Edit" and "Find on this page" on the tool bar.)
Additionally, we invite featured poets to send us links to your book or web sites. Click on the poet's underlined blue name to visit them. If you have numerous poems featured on your own website that will provide reading enjoyment, we will also feature your name on our Links Page: http://www.comstockreview.org/links.html.
How did I acquire the books? Some were sent by the poets themselves and are personally inscribed. Others were sent by our poet's publishers - and we thank them! Others I bought, as I buy all books by "our" poets of which I am aware. Reading and re-reading them has been a wonderful experience reminding me of what tremendous talent exists in our community of poets.
For others who would like to read any of the list of books that they find here, I urge them to call Spring Church Book Company, which deals only in poetry books, and Britt will help them. The phone number is 1-800-496-1262, the address is PO Box 127, Spring Church, PA15686. If the item is a small chapbook from a very small press, and Britt does not have it, anyone may e-mail me at jennymac@dreamscape.com and I will try to contact the poet and find out the price and how you can get the chapbook. Many poets have a case hidden under their bed and are eager to sell what?s left in the box! Of course, the larger presses are also available in the online superchains (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders) but experience has taught me that, once the shipping and handling charges have been added on, they are more expensive than Spring Church or Grolier. (It's a good idea to mention to Britt that the book is on the Comstock web-site so that if she has any questions she can call me.)
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