Velocities: New and Selected Poems 1966-1992 (Penguin Poets)

This review is not fair-- as I purchased the book for a single, lone poem.In my travels, I find Grief to be an addictive affliction. Heavy distress that feels sooo good it scratch...even if you end up making it worse.After too many years with Elisabeth Kubler- Ross, I thought I would change it up a bit--- you know-- try the tango instead of the same sad old polka year after year after year. I was so tired of the polka.What I ended up with, after a few mis-steps, was this book of poetry.The poem "Grief" is still my favorite dance in this collection of emotional elements.It is the kind of poem you can get lost in. You can actually hear the crashing of dismay-- like when your husband, who you adore and love, leaves you for a 25 year old because you are "boring". Ahh, but I digress...My suggestion? Cheat on your usual weekly grief support group and replace the meeting with a seat by the fire and the poem "Grief" -- along with the tried and true effects of:A box of tissueWith a glass of bromideAnd don't forgetTo add the gin.

What?!? Five reviews on the best, most accesible, neither over-brainy nor dumbed-down poetry being written in America?!? What's that about? No. Really. My first Dobyns was "How to Like It." I've read it aloud in several poetry readings since then. The audience always has my reaction: brainy, funny, classical subject, modern angle -- great poem! Since then, I've found the occasional Dobyns poem in anthologies, or heard others read him and put a big mental red-check by his name. I even was in the audience at an open mike once with the sole intention of listening, and was handed a Dobyns poem and told it was imperative that I read it. As a poet, this is what I want to be; like navigating by the North Star, I'm fairly positive I'll never get there. If you read poetry, you should be reading Dobyns. Start with the poems from his book, Cemetery Nights. From there, your poetry-reading life is pretty well planned out (as is that library you're taking with you to that deserted island).

The book presents most of Stephen Dobyns' best poems and the quality of the paper is brand new

I love Stephen Dobyns' work. This is a huge collection. I am not a person who reads lots of poetry in one sitting- rather, I read a few until I find one that really speaks to me and I stop there and re-read it, come back to it, put a post-it, and on another day, read a few more. These are quality poems.

I honestly can't tell you how many copies of this book I've bought and given away. Funny, poignant, intelligent, angry...it's all here.

wow, great selection of very good poems. Get 'em here, as at least one of the early books is no longer in print.

There are some gems among the tiresomely wordy poems here. Most unfortunately are not memorable, and it is not a book I will readily return to.

One of the most accessible poets of our time.

As described.