Settling for Beauty [Paperback]

J.D. Smith (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Smith's poems keep the reader in this temporal world where we are asking difficult things of our lives and the lives of others, and that process becomes part and parcel of his work.

Ann E. Michaels
--umbrellajournal.com

From the Author

This book attempts to present a sensibility all-too-rarely found in the blockbuster-driven "cultural industries" of film, television and mass-market fiction. These poems try to address the way individuals face the limits of their own capabilities and the larger limits of historical circumstance; they also look for an awareness of imperfection and injustice that does not turn to bitterness, fanaticism or fatalism. Settling for Beauty will never be a major motion picture, but I hope it will be read by individuals who seek to enhance their engagement with the world around them.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: WordTech Communications (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933456051
• ISBN-13: 978-1933456058
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,125,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My life revolves around the written word.

I've been writing since I was a child, and now I am publishing books and shorter pieces. I am still finding out what I can do, whether in children's books, poetry, or other genres.

In 2007 I was awarded a Fellowship in Poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts, and my individual poems have received three Pushcart nominations. My essays and commentary have appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times. I have also published literary and crime fiction, and I look forward to trying more of both.

I live with my wife Paula Van Lare and Roo the Rescue Dog in Washington, DC, and I am available for lectures, readings and signings.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Magnificent Book of Intelligent Poems Looking At Life Squarely, February 8, 2006

By 

D. Illich "rockvillegovtwriter" (Rockville, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Settling for Beauty (Paperback)

J.D. Smith's book is a challenge to those who say you can't have both sly, intelligent humor and serious depth in poetry. His poems range from the difficulties of loving someone, asking that you start with a stone first, to looking at the cost of creating art through the lens of Prozac and modern medicine. Rarely have I read a book where the poems have stayed with me longer or had more impact on how I view the world around me. Buy it now -- it'll stay with you longer than that CD or self-help book you were planning to buy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Settle for Beauty, December 14, 2005

By 

Donald Van Lare - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Settling for Beauty (Paperback)

Engaging, delightful, thoughtful, insightful. You'll want to read J.D.'s poems over and over again.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Poetry's Most Original Voices, August 30, 2005

By 

Henry Perez "Writer" (Midwest) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Settling for Beauty (Paperback)

A new collection of poetry by J.D. Smith is always something to get excited about and Settling for Beauty is no different. A true master of the art form, Smith easily shifts from style to style and from one theme to another. Settling for Beauty is full of surprises and rewards. A dedicated student of human nature, Smith has his own unique way of looking at the world, and through his insights and his marvelous wordplay he cajoles, convinces, and compels us to take a long look at our own lives.