Whitman's Wild Children: Portraits of Twelve Poets

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, entertaining and wise
Review: I am so pleased to see that this excellent book is being reissued. Neeli Cherkovski has an intimate knowledge of the poets he profiles and writes in relaxed, crystal clear prose.

Read this one and "Bukowski: A Life," then start on Cherkovski's poetry. You won't be disappointed. I particularly recommend "Elegy for Bob Kaufman."

Rating:
Summary: A great intro and exploration to Beat poets
Review: I'm relatively new to reading modern American poets, and I've never liked Allen Ginsberg's work. So I figured the whole genre wasn't for me (after all, there's lots to read out there...)But I have read Whitman, and Cherkoski was able to help me make the connections between the poets he highlights and the American poetic tradition I've always adored.

I'd never pick up a book like this on my own...but I skimmed through part of this book at the library one day...and the prose hooked me. I loved it. Clear and clean--the best nonfiction prose has to offer. And usually I can't stand the "I was there and knew all these famous people and we were, like, so totally wild" war stories--but Cherkovski doesn't indulge in that much, and when he does, it's amusing rather than cloying.

I'm grateful that this book caught my eye: the book sampled several poets I can't wait to read more of like John Wieners, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Michael McClure. It is a good nonfiction book that makes you want to read more....