Stories I Ain't Told Nobody Yet: Selections from the People Pieces (Richard Jackson Book)

Rating:
Summary: Easy to overlook the complexity of these "simple" poems
Review: Don't dismiss the complexity of these "simple" poems too early. Jo Carson's STORIES I AIN'T TOLD NOBODY YET gives voice to an often misunderstood culture, and when we listen to this voice, we learn that economic differences are overshadowed by similarities of dreams, wants, and concerns. Carson's collection of poems might be described as an oral history in verse. These aren't the rhyming poems of greetings cards or the poised verse of classic poetry anthology. These are poems in the style of someone talking to you, or, perhaps even more powerfully, the style of overhearing others in a candid conversation. (Carson gives credit to overhearing many of these dialogues.) The result is simple language addressing complex themes. Loosely divided into main sections like Family and Work, the poems center on rural peoples' perspectives. Sure, economic hardship is a common theme, but more universal themes of family, responsibility, and dignity are also addressed. Yes, the simple language of the poems allows for a quick read. But a reader would be wise to give the collection a second read. And a third. And so on. There are layers to these simple dialogues, and even lessons to be learned. Literature can sometimes bridge the gap of misunderstanding between groups, cultures, etc. Although simple in language, this is literature that can do just that.

Rating:
Summary: Easy to overlook the complexity of these "simple" poems
Review: Don't dismiss the complexity of these "simple" poems too early. Jo Carson's STORIES I AIN'T TOLD NOBODY YET gives voice to an often misunderstood culture, and when we listen to this voice, we learn that economic differences are overshadowed by similarities of dreams, wants, and concerns. Carson's collection of poems might be described as an oral history in verse. These aren't the rhyming poems of greetings cards or the poised verse of classic poetry anthology. These are poems in the style of someone talking to you, or, perhaps even more powerfully, the style of overhearing others in a candid conversation. (Carson gives credit to overhearing many of these dialogues.) The result is simple language addressing complex themes. Loosely divided into main sections like Family and Work, the poems center on rural peoples' perspectives. Sure, economic hardship is a common theme, but more universal themes of family, responsibility, and dignity are also addressed. Yes, the simple language of the poems allows for a quick read. But a reader would be wise to give the collection a second read. And a third. And so on. There are layers to these simple dialogues, and even lessons to be learned. Literature can sometimes bridge the gap of misunderstanding between groups, cultures, etc. Although simple in language, this is literature that can do just that.

Rating:
Summary: Solid rural poetry
Review: Jo Carson lives and works in East Tennessee, and her work, in this book, has been taking overhard conversations around her, modifying the language into something that approximates folk poetry, and writing it down. Normally, this is a recipe for disaster. However, Carson's ear is finely-tuned enough that what comes out more often than not does resemble both rural dialect and poetry. And that in itself is more than enough reason to consider this a noteworthy book. But every once in a while, the stories she tells are the kind that tug at the heart without the naked appeal of obvious emotional manipulation (though there's certainly some of that here, too; if you go into this not expecting to find the cliched "boy, I wish people wouldn't treat East Tennessee folk like hicks," you're going to be disappointed-- but Carson does amnage to keep it to a minimum). A good, solid volume that's worth a quick read. ***