All That Divides Us: Poems (Swenson Poetry Award) [Paperback]

Elinor Benedict (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2000 | Series: Swenson Poetry Award

2000 Winner of the May Swenson Poetry Award. Foreword by Maxine Kumin. Although the poems in this collection are not narrative, they do present a narrative, gradually unspooling the tale of the poet's rebel aunt, who left the family "to marry a Chinaman" in the 1930's. It's an old story, full of poignancy, mystery, family pride, and doubt. When the aunt returns to die, the poet, now grown, discovers in herself the need to reclaim the connections that her family had severed. She travels to China several times--to learn. Gradually, through wide-eyed, insightful poems, we see the poet rebuild with her Chinese cousins a sense of generation, family, and humanity--bridging over all that divides us.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Almost every poem delivers a sidelong irony, a study in contrasts... -- Maxine Kumin

About the Author

Elinor Benedict has also received the Mademoiselle Fiction Prize, a Michigan Council for the Arts Award, and an Editor's Grant from the Coordinating Council of Literary Magazines (CLMP). She earned an M.F.A. in writing from Vermont College and her work has also appeared in various literary journals and in five chapbooks. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Utah State University Press; 1 edition (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874214068
• ISBN-13: 978-0874214062
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,099,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh Images, April 8, 2001

By 

Mary Baker (Memphis, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All That Divides Us : Poems (May Swenson Poetry Award Series) (Hardcover)

This collection of poems piques the reader's senses and maintains interest throughout. The narrative with compelling characterizations keeps the reader moving along and even identifying with the mysterious Chinese aunt and her family in the United States. It is one of those rare books of poetry which you want to read to the very end without putting it down, and yet to enjoy stopping and mulling over individual poems. The encounters between Buddhist, Christian, and Confucian elements lend universal significance. This is the best poetry on today's literary scene.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope & Caring & Sharing, March 10, 2001

By 

Charles M. Nobles (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All That Divides Us: Poems (Swenson Poetry Award) (Paperback)

This book is the winner of the May Swenson Poetry Award for 2000. While not a narrative poem, the story of the author's aunt that married a "Chinaman" and left her family only to return when she was dying, is as close as one can get. The poems tell of the author's need for connections and a sense of family and humanity that are inspiring and eternal. The bridge over all that divides us is, after all, built on hope and caring and sharing. A Marvelous collection.