Rating: 
Summary: A LOVE POEM OF SORTS
Review: a lot of these poems
like simple spring flowers
stem from the jazz traditon
and, yes, as she admits,
some are really silly
and you know something?
love IS sometimes funny...
want to hear something even funnier?
I bought this book simply because
I fell in love with the author
photograph on its back jacket!
Rating: 
Summary: Ugh! A Collection of Trite Yuppiness from a Former Radical
Review: First off--I loved Nikki Giovanni. I say loved because the person she was--outspoken and radical--has dissipated into this soft pile of yuppie mush. She has chapters and poems dedicated to "Charging her love" (as in, through a MasterCard) and how good cashmere feels. This from a woman who used to speak about being gunned down by the CIA, about her fallen radical Black brothers, and about the price she paid to be armed and intelligent in a racist American. What a strange path she's taken to emerge as such a pandering cliche. No wonder the other reviewers treat this horrible collection as an accoutrement to a Nite of Luv (in case Victoria's Secret is closed that night). Her packaged, sing-song banalities deserve that type of treatment.What's particularly painful is when one of her early poem is included, casting light on the difference between Nikki then and now. The lyrical beauty she possessed--showing that anger and love often spring from the same passion--only highlights the shallowness of her current verse. The ideas she expressed within this dualism were conflicted, and therefore refreshing and real. Her early work, like the poem "For Theresa", had a luminescence in it's sadness and a youthful righteousness not often seen in published poetry. (Please check out her early collection "Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgement".) Like many of her generation, though, she must have decided that anger was not sustainable, and that luxury and platitudes were easy and more pleasing to the crowd. Based on the frothing customer comments about this collection, her bet was a good one. How sad for the rest of us, who believed what she said in those early works.
Rating:
Summary: A Joy To Read!
Review: Giovanni's compilation of hip love poems is one of the best I've read in years. Moving away from the politics that her poetry is often well-known for, Giovanni's quirky, witty, and romantic poems will leave anyone in the mood to get intimate! Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Love Poem is a treasure and so is Nikki
Review: Hide "Love Poems" behind all those other scholarly, trendy, "book club-y" books - Hide it like you hide your new Victoria's Secret from you old lover - only to surprise him later. And when the time is right, do so. "Love Poems" adds a wonderful twist. It is real, seductive, poignant, and everything love is but you're afraid to stay out. loud. I LOVE IT & so does my BELOVED.
Rating:
Summary: Love Poem is a treasure and so is Nikki
Review: Hide "Love Poems" behind all those other scholarly, trendy, "book club-y" books - Hide it like you hide your new Victoria's Secret from you old lover - only to surprise him later. And when the time is right, do so. "Love Poems" adds a wonderful twist. It is real, seductive, poignant, and everything love is but you're afraid to stay out. loud. I LOVE IT & so does my BELOVED.
Rating: 
Summary: Silly & Somewhat Trivial Doses of Giovanni
Review: I can't tell you how many times my eyes rolled while reading through this. It reminded me of the worst aspects of contemporary verse--self-indulgent, cliche, and ultimately unsatisfying--a bit like eating a cheese burger at McDonald's, when there's so many better things to eat elsewhere. The older pieces are the best, but the bulk of the rest is just silly.
Rating:
Summary: Silly & Somewhat Trivial Doses of Giovanni
Review: I can't tell you how many times my eyes rolled while reading through this. It reminded me of the worst aspects of contemporary verse--self-indulgent, cliche, and ultimately unsatisfying--a bit like eating a cheese burger at McDonald's, when there's so many better things to eat elsewhere. The older pieces are the best, but the bulk of the rest is just silly.
Rating: 
Summary: A softer side of Nikki
Review: I loved this book. This book contains a poem for every stage, every feeling that love encompasses. I enjoy the hard-edged angry Nikki, but I also appreciate this softer, warmer side of her. I think the fire and passion are still there, just packaged more softly. One of my favorites is "I Wrote a Good Omelet." If you've ever loved anyone or hope to someday, you should appreciate this one.
Rating:
Summary: A softer side of Nikki
Review: I loved this book. This book contains a poem for every stage, every feeling that love encompasses. I enjoy the hard-edged angry Nikki, but I also appreciate this softer, warmer side of her. I think the fire and passion are still there, just packaged more softly. One of my favorites is "I Wrote a Good Omelet." If you've ever loved anyone or hope to someday, you should appreciate this one.
Rating:
Summary: :)
Review: I must say that this book is oulful and endearing. I find it so great to read such honesty in poetry and I also think that ms. giovanni remains one of my favorite poets for her honesty!
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