Flesh That Was Chrysalis [Paperback]

Mel Belin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Word Works capital collection | Publication Date: May 1, 1999

This is an opulent collection of poetry that stakes out huge territory, from family and personal, generally in its first section, entitled "Pass Over," to haunting Biblical work (the second section, which has for a title that of the book itself, i.e., "Flesh That Was Chrysalis"), to poems that move through myth and history. The third section of the book, called "Webs" (evocative of the spider's beautiful creation) touches, in a sometimes serious, sometimes comic vein, on the terrible traps that can confront people--traps of the flesh, mortality, gender roles, the computer age, etc. The last section of the book, captioned "Cosmic Law," generally contains work that is of a more philosophic, or whimsical bent.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Much poetry, like this work, is intensely personal, an intimate glimpse into the poet's private memories. The question about such poems is: Are they couched enough in terms of our common human -- or Jewish -- experience and written well enough to appeal to people with no knowledge of his life, family and friends? This one [collection of poetry] is. -- Aaron Leibel of Washington Jewish Week, May 6, 1999

From the Back Cover

"Flesh That Was Chrysalis is an ambitious bumper crop of a book, filled with rich and lively poems."
--Theodore and Renee Weiss, editors,
Quarterly Review of Literature

"Mel Belin is a poet of considerable parts. He has a firm clear line, and his language is musical and vivid. He can write about swans in "The Rogue Swans That Like Classical Music" in a way that summons "the old world rising, its great wing beats" or meditate, in "Jael," on a haunting Biblical tale. The voice of a genuine poet is heard here: that is something rare enough in this cacophonous world, something to be grateful for."
--Jay Parini, author, The Last Station

"A Wonderful book of poetry! It's nice to see such a superb work get the attention it deserves."
--Ron Wallace, series editor,
University of Wisconsin Press

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 84 pages
• Publisher: Word Works; 1st edition (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0915380404
• ISBN-13: 978-0915380404
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,134,949 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 Belin is Bob Dylan in "prose", December 13, 1999

By 

Thomas M. Marsilio (Hazleton, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flesh That Was Chrysalis (Paperback)

Masterful, hard hitting, insightful, delightful-- Belin does it all! He separates the wheat from the chaff and is on his way to immortality. Personally, I am looking forward to much, much more of Melvin Stuart Belin.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Belin rates a poetic first place, February 19, 2001

By 

Marcia L. Hurlow (Lexington, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flesh That Was Chrysalis (Paperback)

"Mel Belin's poems in Flesh That Was Chrysalis balance the poignancy of change or loss with a spiritual optimism that a relationship or something else of transcendent value has been maintained. The book has four distinct sections held together by their intelligence, spiritual sensitivity and respect for the traditions of culture and of poetry . . . Although I was unfamiliar with Belin's poems before reading this collection, I was excited to discover a writer with his skill, his range of subjects and heart."

-- Marcia L. Hurlow, Small Press Review Nov./Dec. 2000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An anthology showcasing the best of an accomplished poet., February 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flesh That Was Chrysalis (Paperback)

Mel Belin is an accomplished poet. Flesh That Was Chrysalis is an engaging anthology of his work showcasing the best that he has done to date and documents Belin as worthy of national attention. Pas De Deux: When Marguerite danced around Faust/supple and girlish, a swirl in the white/silk dress, a blush on her cheeks,/caught him in the worm of her smell--/a sachet blend of herbs, flowers---/with the hook. Mephisto, grinning/like a pitchman at some sideshow/rubes. When she flashed eyes shimmering/their moonlit lakes, and in the surrounding/brush, a savant, wrinkled, hungry/for communion,/touched him where God/was not, he signed the contract on the spot.