Poetry Unplugged [Paperback]

Irene Brodsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 2008

Ms. Brodsky's words fall from her lips to reach your heart in such a nice way!

Product Details

• Paperback: 60 pages
• Publisher: Outskirts Press (November 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1432736507
• ISBN-13: 978-1432736507
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,542,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ms. Irene Brodsky is a 63 year old recent graduate of Brooklyn College CUNY.
She teaches now at the college and Poetry Unplugged is her lst book.
Her hobbies are doo-wop music and arts & crafts. Ms. Brodsky was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is married 20 years. If you buy her book, she will send you a thank you video. Just contact her at [e-mail] and let her know. She also enjoys hearing from fans of her work.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Freestyle Poetry Collection from New Author, January 31, 2009

By 

Sarah Moore "Sarah" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poetry Unplugged (Paperback)

I am always eager to discover the expression that is shared by an artist through a chosen craft. Whether he is a composer who brought notes together to form a symphony centuries ago or a young poet who thoughtfully constructs her word patterns even before she knows how to tie her shoes, I love to get lost in such honest emotion. As a musician and a writer, I know that any moment or any object can inspire an outpouring of self. I have recently found a new poet named Irene Brodsky who shares much of her personal story in her just published collection of freestyle poetry entitled Poetry Unplugged. I have not had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Brodsky and have only had the opportunity for one phone conversation, but I feel that I have some sense of her background and what she holds so dear through her wonderful use of words.

Irene Brodsky, like most Americans across the country, felt a powerful need to express herself after the tragedy of September 11. As a resident of New York City, she had a front-seat perspective on that horrible day and found herself drawn to poetry has her chosen means of releasing her overwhelming emotions. She wrote a compelling piece of poetry entitled "The Tallest Twins" in which she portrays the World Trade towers as her close friends. This personification served as a less painful way of coping with the grief she was experiencing for her friends who worked in those buildings. The poem became the opening selection in Poetry Unplugged and serves as an appropriate introduction to the rest of her work.

Throughout the poems found in Brodsky's Poetry Unplugged, one clear characteristic of the author becomes pleasantly apparent. She is a woman who does not have to search to find points of beauty and astonishment in her everyday surroundings, and she never takes this precious realization for granted. There are several poems that recall childhood memories from places like Howard Street or Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Her words in these selections create a nostalgic visual of a New York that, for the most part, exists only in the memory of those who lived through the era. What wonderful pieces these will be for her readers who look back at their own childhoods in New York with fondness. Ms. Brodsky also shows a love for the natural environment, with poems detailing her day spent with a doe, vacations to the Catskill Mountains, and even the simple appreciation for the beautiful color of an apple. When someone's writing encourages me to take a second look at the ordinary grandeur that surrounds me, I am truly thankful.

Ms. Brodsky's work also should serve as a source of encouragement for women who are considering a significant change in their life's path. She chose to return to college at the age of fifty-five and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. There are several poems in Poetry Unplugged that share Ms. Brodsky's sense of pride at this great accomplishment. Her poem "Graduation Day" encapsulates all of the strong emotions that anyone feels when achieving one of their life goals, from a sense of disbelief to new confidence to just a bit of sadness at saying goodbye to friends. I felt a particular connection to "Spring Has Sprung on the Quad," with lines such as "Pictures have been taken, The Quad is all aflutter, A special day awaits!" I read this poem several times, and recalled wonderful visuals of my own graduation nearly fifteen years ago. Perhaps some of Ms. Brodsky's readers will be inspired to create such memories for themselves!

I sat down with Irene Brodsky's Poetry Unplugged as someone who has great appreciation for the written word, but hardly as a seasoned critic of poetry. I closed the collection of work as a fan of Ms. Brodsky's use of language and the confident sense of self that gives her poetry both an inviting approach and a real sense of purpose. Her personal story, namely her decision to return to school later in life and now pass on her learned craft to new students, is a wonderful starting point to attract readers before even enjoying her first line of poetry. When readers discover that the quality of her art is such that they want to reread her words to themselves and others, they will hope that another book of poetry is in Ms. Brodsky's future. Whether or not such a publication is forthcoming, I at least would love to grab a seat in her class one day and experience the contagious excitement she feels for poetry and simply for life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful collection of beauty, August 24, 2010

By 

tracy Dibert "Tracy Dibert" (Pittsburgh pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poetry Unplugged (Paperback)

I bought poetry unplugged and even with the chaos of my life I could not put it down. The descriptions are so vidid that as a reader, you could close your eyes and visualize so clearly, that one feels as though they are watching a movie. She writes in such a way that it draws the reader in and holds your attention to start to finish.
The book begins with a life changing event in our american history. "The Tallest Tower" is sincere, heartfelt and heartbreaking. My favorite poem is "An Hour In Time" . As a read this poem it made me stop a realize how precious life really is and how we can contribute to others. If given a choice one only pounders what do to. Irene askes If you could go back in time and make a difference would you do it? She finds the beauty in all things that one in daily life takes for granted. A beautfiul tribute to her parents in the "Lily of The Valley" This book is like a ticket that takes you on an adventure through the writer's life. This book in your hands allows you a rare front seat view and it is one enjoyable ride. If September 11 touched your heart, you have ever overcome the odds,you graduated, lost friends and family and if you look back at your life to reflect this is a book that you need in your collection. This is a must have, must read, must keep and must share book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brava!, January 21, 2010

By 

Ebony Haywood "literature rocks" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poetry Unplugged (Paperback)

Poetry Unplugged is a delightful collection of poems by Brooklyn College educator, Irene Brodsky. Brodsky is a masterful story teller; her poems leap off the page and transport you to another world.

In "The Best Kept Secret in Brooklyn," Brodsky takes you back to her childhood. Warm and comforting images dance on the pages as she describes the inviting aromas of her home: "...the scent of apple pie beckons to you." One of her most delicious lines is: "Thick burgers and fries pile high/ And ketchup flows like the red sea." Do not be surprised if you are hungry by the end of the poem.

"An Hour In Time" is a reminder of how precious each moment of our lives is, and what a difference each of us can make in the lives of others. If you could go back in time and make a difference would you do it? The closing line of this poem says it best: "If you could back,/Would you do it?/Or will you/ Just sleep through it?"

Brodsky pays tribute to her parents in the hear-warming poem, "Lily of the Valley." She uses words to paint a breath-taking portrait of a husband and wife who are enraptured in each other's love: "In his eyes, Lily was a jewel in the midst/His wife of 50 sparkling years/Lily of the Valley." This poem is simply lovely.

This book is a must read for anyone who is a lover of the written word. Poetry Unplugged will make you smile, think, laugh, and remember how wonderful life is.