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Summary: For artists in all media
Review: I'm a visual artist, not a poet or fiction artist. This small book made more difference in my artistic output this winter than any other influence. I've ordered copies for my walking buddy (so we can share the excercises) and a writer friend in the cold north. Heart-full and not hokey...these chapters appeal to the 7th grade child in all of us. Before we knew what was "cool", we knew how to tap the muse.Order extra copies for all your friends!
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Summary: Learning to capture the coyote in all of us
Review: In this book, Susan G. Wooldridge helps us capture our personal coyote and run wild with words. She provides exercises that tap into those regions of one's soul where it is sometimes frightening, yet exhilarating. Real writing comes from those precarious zip codes, and Wooldridge's book is a road map to take us there. She demonstrates how self-examination makes poetry accessible, and she shares stories from her own life that have helped her create poetry. Wooldridge also discusses how poetry is all about enlarging minor details: "we can make a small occasion large by the focus of our attention." (p45) The exercises included are appropriate for all ages and are not limited to the creation of poetry. Whether you are writing fiction, essays or just want to play with words, Poemcrazy is a good addition to your writing reference library.
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Summary: inspiring without going overboard
Review: maybe I was just in the right place at the right time for this book to have a great effect on me, but whatever the circumstances, it has been a great inspiration. as someone who shuns all things new age and gets nervous around books promoting creativity through spirituality, I thought poemcrazy did a fine fine job of getting me to think creatively without making me naseous. the author's tips and ideas are quite thoughtful and she shares relevant vignettes about her family, students, and her own writing life where she has put these ideas into action.
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Summary: Pure Inspiration!
Review: One of my teachers recommended this book for us to read for a woman's writing class i took last year. this is the most inspirational book i have ever read! if you are an aspiring poet, already a poet or would just like to pull out a more creative side of yourself, this is a great book for you! I have never related to a book in so many ways. you don't have to brain storm for your ideas, she tells you simple (and clever) exercises that can help you think of ways of writing, and like she says in the book, "play with words". not only is it helpful for writing, but it has a splash of a philosophical point of view. she is able to pull a new person out of the reader. fabulous!
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Summary: Inspiration
Review: Part exercise suggestions, part meditations on writing, life and poetry, this is the most fabulous book I've purchased in the past three years, and maybe more. I enjoyed every moment of it, and have even begun creating word tickets to use for my own writing, as suggested in the book. The writer moves you through beginning to collect words to putting those words together, and finally, to accepting the need to edit and rewrite.
Short chapters make the book fly by, but you will want
to linger over the pages again and again. The writer is
with you all the way, giving you stories from her life and
workshop experience, examples of poems by others, and the inspiration and tools to get YOU to write, too!!!
The greatest gift this book gives is the joy there is in the accumulation of vocabulary and our own innate ability to be able to arrange and decorate the page with those words. Personally I'm crazy for Poemcrazy, and everything the book has brought to me as a poet. The blessing is, I gain something new every time I go back to read the book.
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Summary: Will Make You Crazy to Make Poems
Review: Part exercise suggestions, part meditations on writing, life and poetry, this is the most fabulous book I've purchased in the past three years, and maybe more. I enjoyed every moment of it, and have even begun creating word tickets to use for my own writing, as suggested in the book. The writer moves you through beginning to collect words to putting those words together, and finally, to accepting the need to edit and rewrite.
Short chapters make the book fly by, but you will want
to linger over the pages again and again. The writer is
with you all the way, giving you stories from her life and
workshop experience, examples of poems by others, and the inspiration and tools to get YOU to write, too!!!
The greatest gift this book gives is the joy there is in the accumulation of vocabulary and our own innate ability to be able to arrange and decorate the page with those words. Personally I'm crazy for Poemcrazy, and everything the book has brought to me as a poet. The blessing is, I gain something new every time I go back to read the book.
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Summary: Admittedly Loca for Poemcrazy.......
Review: Poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge is one of those rare books which is best read slowly, over time, perhaps as you read other books so that you can take the time to try the different exercises, revisit favored passages and really take the time to listen to exactly what Wooldridge is teaching. Is it poetry or is it life? Is it writing or is it personal freedom and individuality? From my experience, it is a bit of both and all of the above and more. The book is presented in 5 major sections. I found sections 4 and 5 to be crescendo-esque, filled with a-ha moments and ideas for me to take into my poetry (and other) writing practice. Earlier reviews concur that this title is reminiscent of Natalie Goldberg and Anne Lamott: in my estimation, these are really great indications of a solid, enjoyable, applications oriented read. I was not disappointed. My only disappointment in regards to this book is that I have not been able to find anything else by the same author..... hopefully this will change!
Rating: 
Summary: Good but . . .
Review: Poemcrazy is a decent book covering ways to create the environment in which one will write poetry. However, there is nothing special about the book. Those interested in poetry in the schools are better off with the works of Kenneth Koch. Those interested in publishing poetry are better served by In the Palm of My Hand (the "my" in the title may be incorrect). Those interested in poetry for self-discovery may find the approach of Poemcrazy to be useful - for this purpose Poemcrazy's central technique - word tickets - may be the technique appropriate for them. In this context the book is better than many in that it illustrates the technique across a wide variety of interests. Everyone should be able to find some chapters (with the related exercises) that speak directly to their needs.
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Summary: ...opens poetic doors to many who want to write but haven't.
Review: POEMCRAZY is infectious, uncluttered, easy to digest, fun, presenting the art of poetry not only as a very desirable pursuit but also as sustenance for the heart. It teaches the value of a poetic soul and illustrates that poetry is not the sole property of the erudite. This should be in every school at every level.
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Summary: Excellent for poets and creative writing teachers
Review: Poemcrazy smoothly integrates Susan Wooldridge's personal experiences and observations with wonderful suggestions for writing exercises! As a high school creative writing teacher, I find the book to be particularly useful when I am searching for ways to help me and my students approach familiar subjects from unexpected directions. Poemcrazy also helps get the mental ink flowing when it seems to be running dry. In terms of exercises, Poemcrazy is comparable to, but not quite on par with, Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones." Still, even if you don't actually use the exercises, the narrative makes for interesting enough reading on its own.
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