Scan through the archives of carp(e) libris reviews and you’ll find quite a selection of poetry. As I learn more and more about poetry, and as we learn to have a deeper appreciation for it through reviews and giveaways, I’m refining my tastes in the craft a little more with each book. The Opposite of [...]

If you’ve been following my series of reviews of The Cahier Series published by Sylph Editions, then you know Cahier #4 is next in this wonderful line-up. Alan Jenkins’ love for the poet Arthur Rimbaud shines forth in his cahier, which features the famous Drunken Boats (Le Bateau ivre), translated from the French by Jenkins. Also featured are [...]

We’ve been talking about poetry around here quite a bit lately. So when Kemal Faruquee asked me to check out his poetry website, Kemal Poems, I just had to take a look. Kemal started his site in 2004, and he’s filled it with the poetry he’s written. Kemal’s books, Naive Lip and The Uptake [...]

And the winner is…. Ed!  Thanks, Ed, for being a longtime visitor.  Hope you like the book!
I swore I’d never do it. When I started carp(e) libris reviews, I swore I wouldn’t review a book that was self-published. After all, the risk is great. Sure, there are some award-winning self-published books out there, but it [...]

Not too long ago, I reviewed an exceptional book called “Skunk: A Love Story,” one of those rare finds in literature you know you’ll not forget. Fortunately for me, and anyone else lucky enough to have discovered Skunk, author Justin Courter has not pulled a Margaret Mitchell on his readers by producing one great [...]

Part of the Quarternote Chapbook Series from Sarabande Books, Contents of a Minute gives us a look into the poetry of Josephine Jacobsen, celebrated poet. This 29-page collection is filled with recently discovered and previously unpublished poetry and is a great collection whether you’re just discovering Jacobsen’s work or you’re already a fan.
Jacobsen’s poetry is filled with depth [...]

Muriel Spark’s work can be found in every corner of the literary world: Novels, short stories, poetry, reviews, and many other written forms, best known for her novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Walking on Air, Cahier 2 of The Cahier Series published by Sylph Editions, was brought into being shortly after Spark’s death. [...]

Poet Anne Coray was born and raised in Alaska. Her book of poetry, Bone Strings, reflects not only the beauty and grandeur that haunts anyone who has even seen a picture of the state, it presents the harshness and disquietude of Alaskan nature as well.
Bone Strings reads with a graceful rhythm, smooth and melodic. However, [...]

I love reading translated works; I devour them. There’s a whole other world of literature outside the U.S. waiting to be read, and I mean to discover as much of it as I can. Translating Music, first of The Cahier Series published by Sylph Editions, is written by translator Richard Pevear, putting a whole new slant and appreciation on [...]

Sometimes the author is as fascinating as the book. In the case of the poetry book A Cartography of Peace, I find myself drawn to both poet and poems. Jean L. Connor writes poetry befitting of its title, filled with a peaceful calmness that is lacking in most of our days. Her prose focus [...]