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Practical Water (Wesleyan Poetry Series)

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Poetry (2009)Runner-up for the Northern California Book Award for Poetry (2009)Practical Water is, like Brenda Hillman's previous two books, Cascadia and Pieces of Air in the Epic, both an elemental meditation and an ecopoetics; this time her subject is water: Taoist water, baptismal water, water from the muses' fountains, the practical waters of hydrology from which we draw our being—and the stilled water in a glass in a Senate chamber. Not since Allen Ginsberg tried to levitate the Pentagon has American poetry seen the likes of the hallucinatory wit and moral clarity that Hillman brings to Washington in her poems about Congressional Hearings on the Iraq War. Here also—because it is about many kinds of power—is a sequence of twinned lyrics for the moon, governess of tides and night vision, for visible and invisible faces. Violence and the common world, fact and dream, science and magic, intuition and perception are reconfigured as the poet explores matters of spirit in political life and earthly fate. If it is time to weep by the waters of Babylon, it is also time to touch water's living currents. No one is reimagining the possibilities of lyric poetry with more inventiveness; this is masterful work by one of our finest poets.

Practice, Restraint

Laura Sims's debut is the work of an organic synthesizer, one practiced in the restrained art of listening. Her poems exhibit an attenuation that is akin to devotion: By means of maxim and miniaturization, she sorts and stacks the products of humanness. Memes and phonemes of a haiku-like fineness are thereby invited to break the surface of the page.

Practicing to Walk Like a Heron: Poems (Made In Michigan Writers Ser.)

In Practicing to Walk Like a Heron multiple-award-winning Michigan poet Jack Ridl shares lines of well-earned wisdom in the face of a constantly changing world. The familiar comforts of life-a warm fire in winter, a lush garden in summer-become the settings for transcendent and universal truths in these poems, as moments of grief, sadness, and melancholy trigger a deeper appreciation for small but important joys. The simple clarity of Ridl's lines and diction make the poems accessible to all readers, but especially rewarding for those who appreciate carefully honed, masterful verse. Many of the poems take solace in nature-quiet deer outside in the woods, deep snow, a thrush's empty nest in the eaves-as well as man-made things in the world-a steamer trunk, glass jars, tea cups, and books piled high near an easy chair. Yet Ridl avoids becoming nostalgic or romantic in his surroundings, and shows that there is nothing easy in his celebration of topics like "The Letters," "But He Loved His Dog," "A Christmas List for Santa," and "The Enormous Mystery of Couples." An interlude of full-color pages divides Ridl's more personal poems d experiential in life. This relatable and emotionally powerful volume will appeal to all poetry readers.

Practising Angels

This is an anthology of San Francisco Bay Area poems and is a part of 20th century American literature.

Praga

Llega a Poesía Portátil la faceta más personal de Manuel Vázquez Montalbán con Praga, uno de los poemarios más destacados de un escritor inabarcable. Manuel Vázquez Montalbán fue un hombre definitivamente polifónico en su escritura, pues su obra alberga desde la novela policiaca, con un inolvidable Pepe Carvalho, hasta ensayos sobre fútbol, libros sobre gastronomía y artículos periodísticos. Vázquez Montalbán, además, escribía versos y se sentía muy orgulloso de esta faceta, aunque sea probablemente la menos conocida de su carrera. En Praga encontramos algunos de sus versos más representativos, breves estrofas, de estilo costumbrista, que son el resultado de su compromiso con su época y el reflejo de su vida cotidiana. «o acaso no sea Praga una ciudad una sinfonía ni la Historia ni una vida ni este libro acaso sea simplemente una metáfora.»

Pragmatism and Poetic Agency: The Persistence of Humanism (Routledge Research in American Literature and Culture)

Pragmatism is a humanist philosophy. In spite of the much-debated renaissance of pragmatism, however, a detailed discussion of the relationship between pragmatism and humanism is still a desideratum. It is difficult to understand the complexity of pragmatism without considering the significance of humanism. At least since the 1970s, humanism, mostly in its liberal version, has been vehemently attacked and criticized. In pragmatism, however, a particular understanding of humanism has persisted. Bringing literary studies, philosophy, and intellectual history together and establishing a transatlantic theoretical dialogue, Pragmatism and Poetic Agency endeavors to elucidate this persistence of humanism. Schulenberg continues the thought-provoking argument he developed in his previous two monographs by advancing the idea that one can only grasp the unique contemporary significance of pragmatism when one realizes how pragmatism, humanism, anti-authoritarianism, and postmetaphysics are interlinked. If one appreciates the implications and consequences of this link, then one is in a position to see pragmatism’s antifoundationalist and antirepresentationalist story of progress and emancipation as continuing the project of the Enlightenment.

Praha

Prompted by renowned poet E.D. Blodgett's deep love for and intimate experience of Prague, Praha is a poetic homage to the legendary city's vital spirit. As they build on one another, the poems in the collection lift the reader over the threshold of purely mythic understanding and into the heart of one of Europe's loveliest and most venerable cities. Each poem is accompanied by a translation into Czech, encouraging even those who do not know the language to immerse themselves in its sound. Superbly complemented by the mysteriously eloquent paintings of Czech artist Robert Kessner, Praha offers the moods of Prague in its many seasons and in all its magic.

Praise in Which I Live and Move and Have my Being

Paul Durcan's twenty-second collection finds Monsieur le Poète on the road in Paris, New York City, Chicago, Brisbane, and Achill Island, meditating upon the sanctuary of home and what it means to feel truly at home. Regarded by many as the great poet of contemporary Ireland, Durcan is on top form here as he contemplates the fall of the Celtic Tiger, while railing against bankers and 'bonus boys'. There are poems of love lost and won, and poems in memory of friends and relatives who have passed on, but there is also joy to be found in the birth of a grandson, and there is praise, too, for the modest heroism of truckers, air traffic controllers and nurses, those 'slim, sturdy, buxom nourishers' of fallen mankind. If for Sartre 'hell is other people', for Durcan 'heaven is other people, especially women'.

Praises & Offenses: Three Women Poets from the Dominican Republic (Lannan Translations Selection Series)

As tropical as it is topical, this landmark anthology gives voice to three powerful women poets from the Dominican Republic. Together they present a wide array of linguistic and stylistic elements, and they address shared political and cultural issues that illuminate what it means to be a woman in the modern-day Dominican Republic. Translator Judith Kerman, who began the anthology as a Senior Fulbright Scholar, notes that "contemporary women poets from the Dominican Republic are the most underserved group when it comes to English-language translations." This anthology remedies that omission with poetry that is smart, edgy, and groundbreaking.

Praising the Paradox: Poems

A collection of poetry with &“resilience throughout and an awareness of the common world that both comforts and devastates&” (Dorianne Laux, award-winning author of Only As the Day Is Long). From Tina Schumann, recipient of the American Poet Prize from The American Poetry Journal and a Pushcart Prize nominee, comes a full collection of fifty-six poems reflecting on the concept of self, loss, fragility, and the constructs we must create in order to face the transient nature of life. Praising the Paradox was named a finalist in the National Poetry Series, The New Issues Poetry Prize, The Four Way Books Intro Prize, and others. It was also listed as a &“remarkable work&” in the Tupelo Press open submission period. &“A rich guidebook for a life—a grand companion. These deeply satisfying poems, with their lush images and fluid sound movements, unfold in elegance, settling the spirit. In every stanza, Schumann&’s honest voice feels compelling and humble . . . Nothing forced, nothing labored. What a treat.&” —Naomi Shihab Nye, author of The Tiny Journalist &“Tina Schumann&’s stunning new collection is extraordinary in its intelligence. She has organized her poems by locating the innumerable paradoxes in our lives, in our minds, in the world. Her book is brilliantly unique and, I dare say, unrepeatable; she owns this territory. And what is so important about a paradox? The answer is that paradox is what the world is made of. The other (necessary) ingredient here is feeling. Praising the Paradox will make you feel, think, and reflect. Schumann&’s lines will resonate in your heart. They will resonate in mine forever.&” —Kelly Cherry, author of Observing the Invisible

Prayers Written At Vailima

Pre-Faces

Pre-Faces is a statement of aesthetic theory by Jerome Rothenberg, a literary critic. Rothenberg discusses the goals of oral poetry and applies his theories to a selection of pieces.

Pre-Raphaelite Poetry: An Anthology (Dover Thrift Editions: Poetry)

This outstanding anthology presents the most inspired verse of the the Pre-Raphaelite movement — a treasury of poems that resounds with a lush musicality of language. The poetry of Dante Gabriel Rossetti crowns this collection: highlights include "The Blessed Damozel," "My Sister's Sleep," and selections from The House of Life. Christina Rossetti is amply represented by "Remember," "Cousin Kate," "Song," "The Convent Threshold," and other memorable poems. Algernon Charles Swinburne's "The Garden of Proserpine" and William Morris' "The Haystack in the Floods" appear here, along with George Meredith's "Lucifer by Starlight" and selections from Modern Love.

Preaching the Converted

The Vercelli Book is one of the oldest surviving collections of Old English homilies and poems, compiled in England in the tenth century. Preaching the Converted provides a sustained literary analysis of the book's prose homilies and demonstrates that they employ rhetorical techniques commonly associated with vernacular verse. The study argues that the dazzling textual complexity of these homilies rivals the most accomplished examples of Old English poetry.Highlighting the use of word play, verbal and structural repetition, elaborate catalogues, and figurative language, Samantha Zacher's study of the Vercelli Book fills a gap in the history of English preaching by foregrounding the significance of these prose homilies as an intermediary form. Also analyzing the Latin and vernacular sources behind the Vercelli texts to reveal the theological and formal interests informing the collection as a whole, Preaching the Converted is a rigorous examination of Old English homiletic rhetoric and poetics.

Precious Energy

Precious Energy, the fourth collection of poetry from Hamilton-born poet and playwright Shannon Bramer, is a uniquely playful collection of vibrantly sad, peculiar, and often funny poems about domestic life, motherhood, and the baffled child that remains within us all even as we grow up and into whatever person we keep trying to become. Featuring a coterie of subjects, from fish sticks and LEGO pieces to mothers too tired to have sex and solitary swans in everyone's basement, these poems dexterously navigate a landscape of domestic isolation, insecure attachments, and confused personal boundaries with honesty and unexpected humour.

Precious Moments: Little Book of God's Love (Precious Moments)

Celebrate with your little one how we can receive and share God&’s amazing love. The classic Precious Moments illustrations, sweet poems, and Bible verses remind us that from twinkling stars and bright sunshine to giggles and hugs and special friends, God&’s love is all around us.Your little one will be filled with God&’s love as you share this charming padded board book that gently reminds your child about God&’s goodness.Precious Moments: Little Book of God&’s Love …Is perfect for children ages 0 to 4;Includes whimsical and nostalgic Precious Moments illustrations and larger sized text for an easy-to-read experience;Features engaging rhymes, prayers, and scriptures;Is a wonderful gift for decisions of faith, baptisms, baby showers, baby dedications, birthdays, and Valentine&’s DayCreate lasting memories with this adorable childhood keepsake as your children learn about God&’s love while spending precious moments with you.Since 1978, Precious Moments has grown into a brand recognized worldwide, with more than 14.5 million books and Bibles sold with Thomas Nelson. Precious Moments serves as a symbol of the emotions experienced during life&’s milestones including weddings, births, christenings, and special everyday moments.

Precious Moments: You're My Little Answered Prayer (Precious Moments)

Celebrate a baby on the way, newborn, or growing toddler with these poems of baby&’s arrival, learning new things, bedtime, family time, first experiences, and prayers for the future, along with favorite Scriptures in Precious Moments: You're My Little Answered Prayer. Since 1978, Precious Moments has grown into a brand recognized worldwide, with more than 14.5 million books and Bibles sold with Thomas Nelson. This book for little ones, ages 0-4brings the treasure of Precious Moments to your youngest blessingsreminds your child how God's love and your prayers came together to create your familyshares different rhyming prayers to pray over your babyincludes original and traditional poems, meaningful Scriptures, and classic Precious Moments illustrationsis the perfect complement to the bestselling book Precious Moments: Little Book of PrayersAn essential title for every home with an infant or toddler, this is a thoughtful gift for baby showers, adoption parties, dedications, birthdays, Easter baskets, and holiday gifting as well as Mother's Day and Grandparents Day. With its gentle affirmations and blessings, You're My Little Answered Prayer offers sweet nostalgia as well as hope and expectation for your little one. Celebrate God's beautiful gift to you as you commit your little one to His care.

Prehistoric Times

The narrator of Prehistoric Times might easily be taken for an inhabitant of Beckett's world: a dreamer who in his savage and deductive folly tries to modify reality. The writing, with its burlesque variations, accelerations, and ruptures, takes us into a frightening and jubilant delirium, where the message is in the medium and digression gets straight to the point. In an entirely original voice, Eric Chevillard asks looming and luminous questions about who we are, the paths we've been traveling, and where we might be going - or not.

Preliminary Report

"Davis is as good as DeLillo at playing off our internal hunger for meaning against surface senselessness. And Davis catches the surface brilliantly."--American Book ReviewPunctuated by subversive humor, verbal theatrics, and moments of strange, luminous beauty, Davis' clear, unsentimental poems are meditations and mediations on contemporary existence and the unreliability of language, emotions, and the memory to gather it all in.Jon Davis, author of five collections of poetry, earned his MFA from the University of Montana. He has received a Lannan Literary Award and currently teaches at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Premonitions (Made in Michigan Writers Series)

Visceral and brimming with vitality, the poems in Premonitions reverberate with the voice of a woman on a secluded farm, confronting her emotional and physical isolation. Drawing on her own experience as a daughter of a third-generation fruit farmer, Elizabeth Schmuhl gives readers a fresh and powerful perspective on what it means to be alive. Layering one upon another, the poems blur boundaries and create a volatile state out of which the remarkable and unexpected occur. Embracing chaos, change, and unpredictability, these poems are energetically charged and infused with succinct, imagistic language. They reach beyond the constraints assigned to the female form and examine a place where time, the body, sexuality, and the natural world are not fixed. At times surreal, at others painfully real, the poems in Premonitions are the expression of a human life that merges and melds with the world around it, acting and reacting, loving and despairing, disintegrating and rebuilding. The speaker travels fluidly between strata of the natural world and her own body. Adding to the complexity of her poems, Schmuhl creates additional layers of meaning as the poems and their titles relate to the author’s synesthesia, a sensory phenomenon through which letters and numbers are experienced as colors and emotions. Premonitions will turn the reader inward, encouraging the examination of the small details of life and a growing acceptance of the perpetual turmoil and uncertainty of existence despite our own desire to find a firm footing. This volume will be prized by lovers of contemporary poetry and literature alike.

Preschool, Here I Come! (Here I Come!)

A book for all preschoolers-to-be from the author of Kindergarten, Here I Come! Now includes a sheet of stickers!From saying goodbye to parents on the very first day of school to watching butterflies hatch in spring, D. J. Steinberg celebrates all the landmark moments of preschool. Because the year is full of so many firsts, this collection of funny, joyful poems is a must-have for all small scholars in the making.

Present Company

New genius work from W. S. Merwin, considered "one of America's greatest living poets." -Washington Post

Present Moment Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living

Developed during a summer retreat in Plum Village, Thich Nhat Hanh's meditation center in France, these poetic verses were collected to help children and adults practice mindfulness. The result is a handbook of practical, yet down-to-earth verses. These gathas, or mindfulness verses, poetic verse designed to use ordinary daily activities such as washing the dishes, driving the car, or standing in line, as an opportunity to return to a state of mindfulness.Reciting these poetic, yet practical verses can help us to slow down and enjoy each moment of our lives.When we focus our mind on a gatha, we return to ourselves and become more aware of each action. When the gatha ends, we continue our activity with heightened awareness. As exercises in both mediation and poetry, gathas are very much in keeping with the Zen tradition. When you memorize a gatha, it will come to you quite naturally, for example, when you turn on the water or drink a cup of tea.

Presentation Piece

A collection of surreal poetry, arranged in five parts.<P><P> Winner of the National Book Award

Pretend the World

Pretend the World confronts our false sense of safety in our self-created worlds. From her St. Paul kitchen to the historical shores of Lake Superior, from an airplane above Bagdad to a clothing factory in Guangdong, Kathryn Kysar pretends the glimmering and the sordid in these honest, searing poems that explore the inequities, cracks, and fissures in women's constructed lives.Kathryn Kysar is the author of Dark Lake (Loonfeather Press, 2002), a book of poetry, and is the editor of Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers (Borealis Books, 2008). She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Anderson Center, and she has published poems in many anthologies and magazines, including Great River Review, Mizna, and Painted Bride Quarterly. She serves on the board of directors for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs.