Riffs and Reciprocities: Prose Pairs [Paperback]

Stephen Dunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1999

"This Astaire-like glide through our not-so-idle talk is a pleasure."—Publishers Weekly

Stephen Dunn experiments with short, related pieces that play off each other in the manner of jazz improvisations. The resulting pairs cover such subjects as "Scruples/Saints," "Hypocrisy/Precision," and "Anger/Generosity." The wisdom and startling turns we've come to expect from Dunn are everywhere in the ninety miniatures (forty-five pairs) that comprise this volume.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Known for his observant, carefully crafted works, Dunn takes a turn here both in style and content; writing prose poems, he's become more personal, more introspective. He works in pairs, matching "Hypocrisy" with "Precision," "Passion" with "Paradox," and "Anger" with "Generosity" to explore the boundaries of our existence. What results is "the most engaging and provocative work he's written in some time" (LJ 5/15/98).
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Dunn makes us think about the world, about language, and about ourselves in relation to both. -- Stephen Dobyns

Splendid. . . . Wonderfully elaborated moments of a life. -- C. K. Williams

This Astaire-like glide through our not-so-idle talk is a pleasure. -- Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393319571
• ISBN-13: 978-0393319576
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #730,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Let's Hope Dunn is Done with Prose Poetry, December 8, 1999

By 

kevin griffith - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riffs and Reciprocities: Prose Pairs (Paperback)

While certainly better than the majority of pseudo-philosophical goop that passes itself off as poetry (or even worse--"prose poetry"), Riffs and Reciprocities was a disappointment, especially given the heights Dunn is capable of reaching in his work. We have to admire Dunn for attempting new styles/directions in his work and for not just recycling the most reader-friendly version of himself for his audience (as Billy Collins and Stephen Dobyns have, unfortunately, done with their latest efforts). But these prose pieces never aspire to much more than passing ruminations, and, at times, they come dangerously close to imitating "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handy. Stick with Landscape at the End of the Century if you want to read Dunn at his finest. His poem "On the Death of a Colleague" is better than anything in his last two books.

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep and Accessible, March 22, 2007

By 

Ms. Pamela M. Johnson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Riffs and Reciprocities: Prose Pairs (Paperback)

This is poetry, prose, philosophy. These paired prose poems offer the reader a place to think and to feel. You get the best of what poetry and prose can do. All of them repay a second read. That rare kind of writer who goes deep but remains accessible. Excellent.

4.0 out of 5 stars Sparks and washings, June 17, 1998

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riffs & Reciprocities: Prose Pairs (Hardcover)

Stephen has been metamorphizing before our eyes. 'What is this? What is this?' we ask, and the answers, in his best moments, are never going to be simple. He is too good to us to allow us what we believe to be simplicity (and we may even be right about it). This book undulates in pairs that entertain with no boorish party manners. I laugh harder at the more serious mutterings, and I always feel the urge to sing. Excellent well, Stephen...excellent well.