Elizabeth Bishop (Voices & Visions) [Audio Cassette]

Unapix Inner Dimensions (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In this highly informative montage we're treated not only to the voice of Elizabeth Bishop, one of the 20th century's most accomplished poets, but also to the insightful commentary of Mary McCarthy, James Merrill, Octavio Paz, and others. Through them we learn of Bishop's life--her Nova Scotia childhood, her friendships with Marianne Moore and Robert Lowell, her beloved Brazil--as well as her influences, fascinations, and themes. Bishop reads some of her best-loved poems, including "Questions of Travel," "The Moose" (which, we're told, she honed for 20 years), "The Man-Moth," "In the Waiting Room," and "One Art." This is a superb introduction to Bishop's life and work. (Running time: 1 hour, 1 cassette) --Martha Silano

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Unapix Inner Dimensions (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575231654
• ISBN-13: 978-1575231655
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,107,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This cassette fails to fulfill even modest expectations., November 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Elizabeth Bishop (Voices & Visions) (Audio Cassette)

Is it reasonable to assume that a one-hour cassette tape entitled 'Elizabeth Bishop' includes poetry read by Bishop herself? Perhaps not. Surely, though, such a tape would include complete Bishop poems adequately read by someone. Guess again. The tape in question is a hodge-podge of comments by UNIDENTIFIED people about Bishop's poetry. Octavio Paz has an accent, so one can identify him, and I think the quavery, crusty voice is Mary McCarthy's -- but who knows for sure? An extremely self-conscious woman (unidentified) reads about half a dozen strangely expurgated poems. There is no indication either on the cassette case or on the tape itself that the poems have been edited. Why edit short poems anyway? You'll have to ask someone at Mystic Fire Audio.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mistaken Identity, September 22, 2001

By 

Trent Walters "trentmw" (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Elizabeth Bishop (Voices & Visions) (Audio Cassette)

The reviewers here miss an important point. If they found a book entitled "Elizabeth Bishop," they would assume it would be about her and her poetry (the tape does contain poems read by the poet as well). While the one reviewer is correct in stating this was originally a video, the audio has 90% of what the listener needs. And as for any good reader, imagination must fill in the rest. It's unlikely one will find a tape so insightful an opening into Bishop's work.

5.0 out of 5 stars Elizabeth Bishop (Voices & Visions (Audio)), June 6, 2006

By 

S. Kegg (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elizabeth Bishop (Voices & Visions) (Audio Cassette)

This tape is an excellent introduction to the work of Elizabeth Bishop. It has excellent renditions of her poems along with interviews with people who knew and loved her. It is an hour-long glimse of EB. One should not think that it replaces the need for her recordings of the poetry (although it is possible that the versions on this tape are better than EB's) or a good biography. This tape is an excellent program from an excellent series.