American Girl (New Issues Poetry & Prose) [Paperback]

Cynie Cory (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004 | ISBN-10: 1930974302 | ISBN-13: 978-1930974302

Poetry. Cynie Cory's poetry delves into the nature of identity, gender, and American experience with frequently remarkable results. "Cynie Cory roams the outer reaches of the heart's territory, from the snowy winter of family life to the tropical jungles of love. She wears her heart of her sleeve and it is as big as the country she writes about. Is she the quintessential American girl? You bet she is, part Annie Oakley, part Emily Dickinson - sharpshooting poet of wild nights. She zooms in on the detritus of love - the broken fragments, the fallen leaves - and puts together a collage that is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. Watch out - she's driving down your street." - Barbara Hamby

Editorial Reviews

Review

Is she the quintessential American girl? You bet..., part Annie Oakley, part Emily Dickinson—sharpshooting poet of wild nights. -- Barbara Hamby

About the Author

Cynie Cory grew up in Marquette, Michigan. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Florida State University, where she earned a Ph.D.

Product Details

• Paperback: 59 pages
• Publisher: New Issues Poetry & Prose (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930974302
• ISBN-13: 978-1930974302
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,572,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked it so much I bought one for a friend!, March 1, 2004

By 

Cafegato Mardo "Cafegato" (Atlanta,Ga) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Girl (New Issues Poetry & Prose) (Paperback)

It took me several decades to understand that a personal library or even a society could not be complete without volumes of poetry. Most excellent poets are hard to find while they are still alive and frequently not very prolific. Poetry is very private, immediate and transcendent. It also requires that people who love and understand poetry must support the efforts of poets they enjoy. I enjoyed this volume in the same way I love Whitman,Stevens,Dickinson, Pound or even Bly. Generally I prefer supporting live poets when I am able.
"American Girl" is an odd collection(almost a sampling tease!) of very good, very different poems. They pull you in and like all writing-invite one's introspection and wonderment. These poems are personal, lucid and haunting. Some poets know how to use language without letting it use them. Cory is such a poet-she holds out a phrase knowing full well it doesn't quite define something that happened to her that she didn't fully understand-in the first place. Cynie Cory knows the truth of life without being self-referential. True life and true love is a mystery. Should that prevent any of us from trying to hold it and share it with a friend?
I was struck by the personal, fluid mastery of English used by Cynie Cory holding forth on many truthful glimpses of reality tucked so obviously in her poet's quiver. Sharing poetry or "discovering" a poet can be fraught with peril. No such problem the this volume of Cynie Cory's it rings clearly like a bell. Like a writer who has found her voice. Her use of language contains no mistakes as what is vague or uncertain was meant to be.
Here's a few of her lines-

"If I live to touch her, I will cure the cold.
It's common, how you maximize forgiveness
like a shortcut to the store."

Clear, focused and open to other insertions or even completions but left pulling possibles out of the reader. Enter a "moment of the poet" and step out of your life for a breath of her's.
I have limited myself to a lifetime limit of 50 volumes of poetry and this is one is on the shelf. I am happy I discovered it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars To the point, April 18, 2005

By 

StudiousSuzie (Tallahasse,FL,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Girl (New Issues Poetry & Prose) (Paperback)

Cory plays with images and puts it all on the table for everyone to see. In American Girl, Cory touches on almost all subjects dealing with being a female. She takes us through heartbreak, love, and even through gun rights. I believe that Cory put her heart into this book and the readers will see. A must read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Piece of Contemporty American Poetry, April 15, 2005

By 

Michael Lioce "Lioce, the Great" (Tallahassee, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Girl (New Issues Poetry & Prose) (Paperback)

I've taken a couple classes taught by Dr. Cory so my perspective on her work might be a little skewed, but I think this book of poetry is beautiful. American Girl is held together by recurring motifs, such as the repeated use of water, that are intertwined with well placed imagery. Winter is also a common thread and the poems really bring the reader back to a time in their life that is tied closely to the seasons. My favorite poem is The Theory of Everything. It is all about not being confined and wanting to be free. Most poems of this nature are dark and depressing, yet The Theory of Everything is quite optimistic. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to dive into a great piece of contemporary American poetry.