Animal Soul (Contemporary Classics Poetry series) [Hardcover]

Bob Hicok (Author)

Book Description

Series: Contemporary Classics Poetry series | Publication Date: April 1, 2001

Chosen alongside celebrated poets Louise Glück and Czeslaw Milosz, Bob Hicok’s Animal Soul was the standout surprise of the 2002 National Book Critics Circle Award nominations. According to author David Wojahn, a three-time winner of the Pushcart Prize, this collection of poetry “is the best collection yet by a poet who has become one of the most individual and necessary voices of his generation. An almost prophetic rage seems to inhabit these poems, which present us with a speaker who is tender and brutally rueful by turns. Bob Hicok asks to be a voice of conscience in a conscience-less world. And, like all true prophets, his rage and consternation in the end transform themselves into a form of prayer, what one of his poems calls a ‘mad . . . devotion.’ Hicok is able to instruct and console us, and that is a very rare thing indeed.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

" (..) seamlessly, miraculously, his judicious eye imbues even the dreadful with beauty and meaning." -- New York Times

"The best collection yet by a poet who has become one of the most individual and necessary voices of his generation." -- David Wojahn

About the Author

Bob Hicok is the author of three collections of poems, including The Legend of Light, the winner of the 1995 Feliz Pollak Prize in poetry and an ALA Booklist Notable Book of the Year. His work has appeared in literary publications such as the Iowa Review, Poetry, Kenyon Review, and Prairie Schooner. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Invisible Cities Press Llc (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967968380
• ISBN-13: 978-0967968384
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #236,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars disapointing, December 18, 2003

By 

[e-mail] "[e-mail]" (Beaumont, tx USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Animal Soul (Contemporary Classics Poetry series) (Hardcover)

For the past couple of years I've been seeing Bob Hicok's work in various journals and anthologies. I always found the poems interesting and pretty good, if not stellar. And I've seen some good reviews for Animal Soul, so I was rather excited when I finally picked up this book. And I found it a bit disapointing. I'll admit, these weren't the most awful poems I've read, but Hicok's rambling all over the place in a single poem weakened the good work. And I found that his line breaks generally seemed arbitrary and disrupting to the flow of the poem. But the poems I've read of Hicok's that I like should be in his next book, so I'll keep my eye open for it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed immensely, September 29, 2011

By 

M.A.Hobbs - See all my reviews

This review is from: Animal Soul (Contemporary Classics Poetry series) (Hardcover)

This one goes on the bookshelf over the desk. Thoughtful and compelling, with plenty of little surprises. Not a "funny" book, yet a wit and humor that made me reflect and laugh out loud.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, January 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Animal Soul (Contemporary Classics Poetry series) (Hardcover)

This is an amazing book by one of the best young poets working today. I've followed his work for some time and it gets better with each book. I never know what he's going to say or how he'll say it. The poems have a great deal of energy, they pop without sacrificing content. I can't wait to see where he goes next.