Claiming the Spirit Within: A Sourcebook of Women's Poetry [Paperback]

Marilyn Sewell (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0807068616 | ISBN-13: 978-0807068618 | Publication Date: January 18, 2001

Edited by best-selling author Marilyn Sewell, this rich and diverse anthology of more than 300 poems celebrates the sacredness of women's lives: the experiences that shape them, the relationships that sustain them, and the legacy that they build. In these poems, woman grow old, defy conventions and limits, fall in love and out again, wonder at their own bodies, and sing of the earth and sky. They pray, give birth, and make sense of suffering. As Sewell explains, "Those who write these verses do so out of exquisite courage...... They show us how to live."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Marilyn Sewell is a Unitarian minister interested in celebrating the sacredness of women's lives. Her previous work was a collection of writings about women's spirituality. Here, she collects the works of the very best contemporary women poets (Maxine Kumin, Nikki Giovanni, Rita Dove, and Tess Gallagher, among others) to create a kaleidoscope of shifting women's experiences. Some of those experiences are universal, of course. The inevitability of death, say, or the difficulties of relationships, aren't experiences exclusive to women's lives (though men and women will often experience these things differently). The book is most fascinating when it does focus on experiences that are exclusive to women. There are poems about miscarriages, giving birth, and how women's bodies change through the years. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Not so terse are the 300 poems by contemporary women poets (Sharon Olds, Rita Dove, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Anne Sexton, Tess Gallagher among them) collected by Marilyn Sewell in Claiming the Spirit Within: A Sourcebook of Women's Poetry. With only a brief introduction, the poems, arranged in sections titled Generations, Work, Mothering, etc., are allowed to speak for themselves.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 345 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (January 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807068616
• ISBN-13: 978-0807068618
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #468,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enriching description of women's experience, December 14, 1999

By 

SUSAN L DE WARDT (Steamboat Springs, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Claiming the Spirit Within: A Sourcebook of Women's Poetry (Paperback)

As a poet and writer, I am drawn to this book. The poetry is rich, accessible and honest. As a woman, I was astonished by the wealth of experiences shared by so many. There is a commonality in the words yet there is nothing common about this book. An extraordiary find, I would not hesitate to share this book with my daughter (who is 13). It is a valuable resource for explaining life's variable condition as well as honoring the sacredness of female experience. Editor Marilyn Sewell has done an outstanding job in selecting her subjects and poets.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Living Poetry, July 8, 2001

By 

Tanya Gupta (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Claiming the Spirit Within: A Sourcebook of Women's Poetry (Paperback)

How often do you read poetry and say - this has nothing to do with me and my life ? That will not happen when you read Claiming the Spirit Within. Marilyn Sewell has put together poetry that lives, breathes and just is. The women whose poetry has been selected for this compilation are not just good poets but possess an earthy spiritual quality. They explore all aspects of a woman's life including love, the body, family, frienship, death and illness with a confidence that is larger than life. As Marilyn Sewell puts it, "these poets show us how to live". I can only wonder at why some of these women poets; much better than some of the male poets that I have read, are not household names.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational support and insightful self-explorations, February 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Claiming the Spirit Within: A Sourcebook of Women's Poetry (Paperback)

Right beside my bed, you'll find my latest novel, my Bible, my journal, and now this collection of poems. It's easy to only read one verse of the Bible a night, but I can't help but read more than one of these poems! I consider it a nightly reward for my mind, for my soul, to be able to share the thoughts of these talented poets on subjects and experiences familiar to every woman. I highly recommend this book!