The Language of Life

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have! Poets share their work & discuss it with Moyers
Review: *The Language of Life: A Festival of Poets* with Bill Moyers was shown on Public Television and captivated a wide audience. When I watched it, I was thrilled! Bill Moyers has, as usual, done an incredible job, and I love the fact that he has helped to bring the magic of poetry to more people. I loved the PBS documentary so much that I purchased a copy of both the book and the audio-book... *The Language of Life* is so good, so entertaining, so interesting, that you'll want to experience it many times. You'll discover something new each time. I'm a poet, so this book was ideal... I can read the poems (or hear them, in the poet's own words, if via the audio book) and then get an in-depth look at the poem by listening in on Moyers as he conducts an interview. Actually, it's more like a chat with old friends in a way, because Moyers' style is so friendly. He asks good questions, really getting to the meat of the matter, and it's clear that the Festival's poets feel comfortable with him. I felt as though I was there sitting with them, having a cup of tea. Writing is a solitary profession, but I was reminded that we writers all deal with the same core issues. And it's good to hear how others find their inspiration, their space, etc. This book is also great because even people who don't read poetry will enjoy it... in fact, might realize they love poetry. Friends of mine who thought of poetry as something stuffy that really pale people read while sitting in dusty attics (wearing black, of course)ended up liking it a lot. Moyers and the poets he meets show the reader that poetry is just another form of human expression... one that is truly the language of life.

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Summary: Poetry for Dummies
Review: A worthy read, if you are looking for a general intro into modern poetry. Probably better off just buying a good poetry anthology, though. Few things can be as tiresome as poets yammering on about poetry. Does a terrible job highlighting the works of truly experimental and avant garde writers. Clearly the poets were chosen as much on their accessibility as they were their talent. Gods forefend if one might actually have to think their way through a poem, or - gasp! - not understand it!

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Summary: dull, maudlin romanticism
Review: Bill Moyers is an admirable thinker, so one must be careful to distinguish that the low quality and worth of the ideas in this book are attributable to the poets, not to Moyers himself. Almost all of the poets express themselves in the usual vague and cliched generalities of what they conceive poetry to be -- "Life," "Soul," "Eternity," "Love," "Beauty," etc. Of all the poets interviewed here, only Adrienne Rich (a poet with whom I have many aesthetic differences) sounds as if she has a head on her shoulders. It's no coincidence that the poets represented here also write terrible poetry, again with the exception of Rich.

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Summary: Thanks, Mr. Moyers. What a Gift!
Review: I nearly didn't buy this tape series after reading some of the blase reviews. I'm so glad I listened to my intuition (which basically said, "Bill Moyers had broadened your world in the past. Why would he let you down here?") Whew. Always listen to your intuition.

I've listened to poetry tapes in the past but, for me, this fantastic series is a rarity -- it captures the interaction and intimacy of live poetry readings. It's art-in-a-box. Highly recommended to all artists and spiritual seekers..... Another bonus? My husband, who always cast a wary eye toward poetry, is now attending poetry readings after listening to these tapes and finally experiencing for himself the profound power of this medium.

Thank you, Mr. Moyers! And please, please, please come out with another series like this.

Rating:
Summary: A strong collection with a few really good interviews
Review: It is almost impossible to please everyone with a collection. Why was this poet included? Or you included him/her and didn't include this poem... Are you insane? The benefit of an anthology is that it can introduce the reader to poets that they may otherwise never come in contact with. To that end, I am thankful to Moyers for introducing me to the work of James A. Autry and Lucille Clifton. I also enjoyed many, but not all, of the interviews. This was a good book. If you are interested in poetry but aren't sure where to start, this collection will introduce you to a wide variety of styles. I am sure you will find something you like, and it will be worth the effort.

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Summary: Better Poetry Books Can be Found
Review: Looking back on this book, I guess it's that I wanted to like it so much more than I did. What a great concept! Take a variety of modern poets, interview them and get them talking about their works alongside the poetry. Now you see the expectations in such a book to poetry lovers everywhere. But after owning the book for 7-odd (and they have been) years, I rarely find myself going back to it after the initial read. Why is that? Let me try to tell you.

Moyers indeed takes a variety of poets to interview, from recognized greats such as W.S. Merwin, Rita Dove, Donald Hall, Adrienne Rich, Ocatavio Paz to name a few to lesser known (at least to me) poets such as, Garrett Kaoru Hongo, Dekou Sundiata, and Mary Tall Mountain. Some of the interviews are fascinating as one would expect them to be. But the majority of them drag on. Instead of making the language come alive, the power of the poetry is diluted when it is talked about. Give credit to Moyers for attempting the project and to opening up his purview beyond the academically accepted greats and beyond strictly English-writing poets. For that Moyers is to be commended, but the end effect leaves the reader wanting for more.

I have gotten so much more from any on the "Best American Poetry" series or a little known poetry compilation called "The Generation of 2000," for the sheer love of poetry and learning about poets, than Moyers' book. As for non-English poets, buy the bilingual editions (Paz's collected poems, Neruda's selected poems, etc) even though you don't speak or understand the original language. It's a must to see and hear how the poetry was intended to sound and also be able to read it in a language you understand.

Rating:
Summary: Better Poetry Books Can be Found
Review: Looking back on this book, I guess it's that I wanted to like it so much more than I did. What a great concept! Take a variety of modern poets, interview them and get them talking about their works alongside the poetry. Now you see the expectations in such a book to poetry lovers everywhere. But after owning the book for 7-odd (and they have been) years, I rarely find myself going back to it after the initial read. Why is that? Let me try to tell you.

Moyers indeed takes a variety of poets to interview, from recognized greats such as W.S. Merwin, Rita Dove, Donald Hall, Adrienne Rich, Ocatavio Paz to name a few to lesser known (at least to me) poets such as, Garrett Kaoru Hongo, Dekou Sundiata, and Mary Tall Mountain. Some of the interviews are fascinating as one would expect them to be. But the majority of them drag on. Instead of making the language come alive, the power of the poetry is diluted when it is talked about. Give credit to Moyers for attempting the project and to opening up his purview beyond the academically accepted greats and beyond strictly English-writing poets. For that Moyers is to be commended, but the end effect leaves the reader wanting for more.

I have gotten so much more from any on the "Best American Poetry" series or a little known poetry compilation called "The Generation of 2000," for the sheer love of poetry and learning about poets, than Moyers' book. As for non-English poets, buy the bilingual editions (Paz's collected poems, Neruda's selected poems, etc) even though you don't speak or understand the original language. It's a must to see and hear how the poetry was intended to sound and also be able to read it in a language you understand.

Rating:
Summary: I JUST LOVE IT!
Review: ok...i tell u why i love this book...or let's say audio cassettes.
well,when i started listening to these cassettes i got this weird feeling of being invloved in every single story they said, starting imagining the poets themselves. the way the music was displayed and the characters introduced..i was just overwhelmed.
maybe i am not an expert in english poetry but i enjoyed this collection BIG TIME!!

Rating:
Summary: Poetry alive & breathing
Review: The companion book to Moyers' PBS series "The Power of the Word" and "The Language of Life," which brought to a national audience the vigorous living poetry of a number of contemporary poets from the U.S. and abroad. Poetry is not the dead old thing critics like Harold Bloom and Helen Vendler would have us believe it is: this series, and this book, puts it into the ears and mouths of the people, to our betterment.

Rating:
Summary: A good roapmap to current poets
Review: With Moyer's ability to ask the right questions, he extracts some wonderful interveiws from these poets about their lives and their work. It is obvious that Moyers knows their work, and most of the poets chronicled show their appreciation by granting some candid interviews. I was particularly moved by Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon's sections. (They were husband and wife poets, until Jane Kenyon passed away recently.) It was a treat to read about poets whose work with I was unfamiliar, such as Lucille Clifton. I also enjoyed learning about Rumi, a thirteenth century mystic whose work is translated and performed by Coleman Barks A good read if you want to learn more about the soul of a poet, or if you just want to brush up on your modern poetry.