Southern Comfort (Notable Voices) [Paperback]

Nin Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Series: Notable Voices | Publication Date: December 17, 2009

In this collection of linked poems, Andrews describes a childhood during the Vietnam War era on a farm in a divided household with a southern father and northern mother. The memories and trials of childhood come from a fabled place where whiskey and story were shared by children, and superstitions and mythmaking were a way of life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her new collection, Andrews (Sleeping with Houdini) takes a candid look at growing up in the South and puts vernacular speech at center stage. There's an abundance of lively phraseology to savor, and the joy of learning to make language one's own is palpable throughout. The chatter of family and neighbors rings out on almost every page, and expressions such as dipping into our lives like a pumpkin vine in compost delightfully animate this coming-of-age narrative. Andrews touches on both the idyllic and melancholy aspects of youth, from sitting on the floor to fiddle/ with the stations on the radio/ and peel a dirty Band-Aid off so slow to listening to Elvis and feeling lonesome for that dusk that was all around me, the daylight fading so fast, I knew nothing ever lasts. Whether writing in prose poems or short-lined free verse, Andrews's voice is marked by an effortlessness that can send the reader into a pleasing state of reverie; her art lies in her ability to transport readers to a place where it's possible to savor the waning of childhood innocence. (Oct.)
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Review

"Southern Comfort reads like a poetic memoir doled out anecdote by anecdote, each one tinged with an awareness of the unspoken--the underlying ambivalence, shame and desperation common to too many of our childhoods. Long time fans of Andrews' daring and inventive poetry will discover a different side to her aesthetic in this thoroughly compelling and moving book." (Mark Cox )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 84 pages
• Publisher: Cavankerry (December 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933880147
• ISBN-13: 978-1933880143
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,330,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Drawing on a philosophy that values common sense above all else, March 15, 2010

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

This review is from: Southern Comfort (Notable Voices) (Paperback)

The simple life that people all too often forget. "Southern Comfort" is a collection of poetry from Nin Andrews as she draws on the simple and relaxing aspects of southern life. Drawing on a philosophy that values common sense above all else and allows for some insightful reading. "Southern Comfort" is a collection of verse that should not be missed. "Why Abortion Doesn't Make Sense": Catholics don't believe in abortion, Miss De Angelo said./Even if it's true they multiply like rodents./No matter what folks say about conception,/everyone knows./If a woman gets pregnant,/it's not bunnies or snakes she's having or vice versa./You don't need the pope to tell you that.