Rating: 
Summary: great-except for first entry...
Review: "Time somebody told me" has been around a lot longer than the young man who submitted it - Otherwise, love the real, true feelings expressed!
Rating: 
Summary: Tender? Deep? Try Tolerance Run Amok
Review: (...) YOU HEAR ME: POEMS AND WRITINGS BY TEENAGE BOYS is a collection of teenage angst that will shock most any parent who reads this book. That may come as a surprise to those on the left who promote the acceptance of trash as "tolerance"... but "shocked" is probably being kind as many parents would be flat-out angry at finding their 7th-12th grader in possession of this book.Let me be honest: This book cannot even be reviewed with the frankness I would like, in using words from the book itself, because Amazon would, rightfully, strike it for being obscene! The editorial reviews above give you a taste. Teenage boys, for YEARS, have grown up learning right from wrong, but to those who praise this book I suppose that's an oppressive and old-fashioned concept. Books like this - and praise for them - say that it's okay (and right) to use vulgarity, promote pre-marital sex - and more - all in the name of "acceptance of young boys angst." Sorry, but some of us still believe you stand up for what is right and true and good and call trash what it deserves to be called - and what this book is - TRASH that belongs nowhere near a junior high library.
Rating:
Summary: activism w/ heart and soul
Review: although i acted as a consultant for this book and thus had some familiarity with its contents before publication, i was pretty unprepared for how beautiful and effective the finished product was when it arrived in the mail. It's a jewel, from its restrained and lyrical cover photo to its soulful content --poems, stories and essays by teenage boys from around the country. My personal faves include Fred Brown's "The Bus Stop," a choppy, minimalist anecdote about a neighborhood domestic altercation with a knockout last line worthy of Hemingway or Raymond Carver; Rigo Landin's "Ode to My Hair Tail," in which a carefully-tended object of personal adornment becomes, in the final stanza, a spiritual offering; Kenny Weiss's "I Hate School," a brilliant all-out assault on verbal decorum and the social rules it helps to maintain; Seth Chappell's "Does My Mother Look Like This?", a wistfully speculative love-poem to THE most important missing person in the world; and countless others. This book is an activist intervention into all the current talk by "experts" *about* boys; it short-circuits all the static of debate by bringing boys' creativity and soulfulness to the fore and letting them speak for themselves. Already the book is being used in group-home workshops to inspire boys in serious need of speaking and being heard; I can't think of a better affirmation of its power than this, its use as a tool against despair and creative waste. Few books achieve such a perfect harmony of artistic and social value. This book is where it's at, and I'm happy to have had even a small role in its development. (If you think this review represents a conflict of interest, check out the book and judge for yourself!)
Rating:
Summary: activism w/ heart and soul
Review: although i acted as a consultant for this book and thus had some familiarity with its contents before publication, i was pretty unprepared for how beautiful and effective the finished product was when it arrived in the mail. It's a jewel, from its restrained and lyrical cover photo to its soulful content --poems, stories and essays by teenage boys from around the country. My personal faves include Fred Brown's "The Bus Stop," a choppy, minimalist anecdote about a neighborhood domestic altercation with a knockout last line worthy of Hemingway or Raymond Carver; Rigo Landin's "Ode to My Hair Tail," in which a carefully-tended object of personal adornment becomes, in the final stanza, a spiritual offering; Kenny Weiss's "I Hate School," a brilliant all-out assault on verbal decorum and the social rules it helps to maintain; Seth Chappell's "Does My Mother Look Like This?", a wistfully speculative love-poem to THE most important missing person in the world; and countless others. This book is an activist intervention into all the current talk by "experts" *about* boys; it short-circuits all the static of debate by bringing boys' creativity and soulfulness to the fore and letting them speak for themselves. Already the book is being used in group-home workshops to inspire boys in serious need of speaking and being heard; I can't think of a better affirmation of its power than this, its use as a tool against despair and creative waste. Few books achieve such a perfect harmony of artistic and social value. This book is where it's at, and I'm happy to have had even a small role in its development. (If you think this review represents a conflict of interest, check out the book and judge for yourself!)
Rating:
Summary: Go Betsy Franco!
Review: I attended California State Summer School for the Arts this summer, and the editor of this book, Betsy Franco, came and spoke to us (the creative writing department--YEAH, BABY!) as a guest artist. She talked to us about the world of writing and publishing, and showed us a copy of her newest endeavor, which was entitled "You Hear Me?" We were intrigued, especially when she had several of the students read aloud from it. The work is strikingly well-written, and I highly recommend this book for people of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Go Betsy Franco!
Review: I attended California State Summer School for the Arts this summer, and the editor of this book, Betsy Franco, came and spoke to us (the creative writing department--YEAH, BABY!) as a guest artist. She talked to us about the world of writing and publishing, and showed us a copy of her newest endeavor, which was entitled "You Hear Me?" We were intrigued, especially when she had several of the students read aloud from it. The work is strikingly well-written, and I highly recommend this book for people of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: In A Class Of Its Own
Review: I have waited to review "You Hear Me?" so that I might read it through many times first. I was quietly involved with this project and in keeping with the intention to not analyze or critique its contents, I will only say that each poem and writing speaks powerfully for itself. I imagine this book to be a wonderful companion for any teenage boy keen to understand himself and peers. As a mother who knows how complicated the world of teenage boys can be, this offers a sacred peek into that world that I've only wondered and guessed about before. What a privilege to have a tender glimpse into the heart and soul of teenage boys. More simply, it is an honor to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: In A Class Of Its Own
Review: I have waited to review "You Hear Me?" so that I might read it through many times first. I was quietly involved with this project and in keeping with the intention to not analyze or critique its contents, I will only say that each poem and writing speaks powerfully for itself. I imagine this book to be a wonderful companion for any teenage boy keen to understand himself and peers. As a mother who knows how complicated the world of teenage boys can be, this offers a sacred peek into that world that I've only wondered and guessed about before. What a privilege to have a tender glimpse into the heart and soul of teenage boys. More simply, it is an honor to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: In A Class Of Its Own
Review: I work with an online magazine with teenage writing as the primary content. When I got my hands on a copy of this book, I thought it was right up my alley, and it was. I never expected the quality and scope of the selections. Some of the poetry is so unbelievably striking--let's just say that this book is not just for teens. Readers of many ages will appreciate it. I really loved it, and I'm even considering reviewing it for my zine.
Rating:
Summary: The Best I've Seen Yet
Review: I work with an online magazine with teenage writing as the primary content. When I got my hands on a copy of this book, I thought it was right up my alley, and it was. I never expected the quality and scope of the selections. Some of the poetry is so unbelievably striking--let's just say that this book is not just for teens. Readers of many ages will appreciate it. I really loved it, and I'm even considering reviewing it for my zine.
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