Spud Songs: An Anthology of Potato Poems : To Benefit Hunger Relief [Paperback]

Gloria Vando (Editor), Robert Stewart (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

La Papa by Rudolfo Anaya
Lila's Potatoes by Leland Bardwell
Potato Conflicts: 1. Unsung Spud Fights Axis Powers by Walter Bargen
Potato Conflicts: 2. Cannon Fodder by Walter Bargen
Potato Conflicts: 3. Garden Casualties by Walter Bargen
The American Heritage Potato by Jim Barnes
Sounds Of The Resurrected Dead Man's Footsteps: 1. One Potato Two by Marvin Bell
Sounds Of The Resurrected Dead Man's Footsteps: 2. Three Potato Four by Marvin Bell
Dreaming Of French Fries Behind The Projects In Far Rockaway by Dennis Bernstein
American Poetry by James Bertolino
Before The Hunger: Megan's Blessing by Margaret Blanchard
A Potato by Robert Bly
Potato by Michelle Boisseau
That The Science Of Cartography Is Limited by Eavan Boland
The Cellar by Laure-anne Bosselaar
Two: Inhale And Raise The Arms. Bend Backward by Michael Dennis Browne
Breasts by Maxine Chernoff
Famine by David Citino
Van Gogh's The Potato Eaters by Peter Cooley
Spuds by Brian Daldorph
Long Live The Potato; Viva La Papa! by Angela De Hoyos
Tonight by Regina Decormier-shekerjian
Variations On The Edible Tuber by Madeline Defrees
Potatoes by David Donnell
The Best Meals Of My Life by Joseph Duemer
Pitching The Potatoes by Martin Espada
Belladonna by Dennis Finnell
Risks by Malcolm Glass
Mishipasinghan, Lumchipamudana, Etc by Albert Goldbarth
Princess by Elizabeth Goldring
In Peru, The Quechuans Have A Thousand Words For Potato by Ray Gonzalez
Potatoes by Eamon Grennan
Digging by Seamus Heaney
Man In Novosibirsk by H. L. Hix
Comment On An Observation By One Of My Masters by John Hollander
Poem by Bob Holman
Potato Cellar by Meg Huber
Digging Potatoes by Colette Inez
A Simple Thing by Leatha Kendrick
Dirty English Potatoes by X. J. Kennedy
Potato by Jane Kenyon
Skibbereen The Famine Pit by John Knoepfle
Roasting Potatoes by Denise Levertov
Famine's End by Judy Longley
California Potatoes by Denise Low
This Spud's For You by William Matthews
The Potatoes Of The Field by Thomas Michael Mcdade
Molly O'rourke Cleary Explains by Patricia Cleary Miller
Peeling Potatoes by Philip Miller
One Potato by Pat Mora
The Cork Examiner, December 4, 1846: More Starvation by Anna Mortal
In Jana's Garden by Joyce Carol Oates
Potatoes Coriander by Elise Paschen
Seeing A Basket Of Lobelia The Color Of A Bathrobe by Molly Peacock
Potatoes by Robert Peters
'arsh Potatoes' by Robert Phillips
Digging Potatoes, 1950 by Stanley Plumly
Skinning by Dan Quisenberry
Tourists, Potatoes, And Genocide by Rush Rankin
The Potato by Rochelle Ratner
Widower by David Ray
Potato Garden by Jeanette Redenius
Of Potatoes by Trish Reeves
Potatoes by Daisy Rhau
Letter To A Former Mother Superior by Mary Kay Rummel
Sustenance by Jason Santalucia
Sex And The Single Spud by Ann Slegman
The End Of All History by Kenneth John Smith
'if You're Lost' by S. B. Sowbel
Tonight I Thank The Potato by Robert Stewart
The Day Can Become A Zen Garden Of Raked Sand by Arthur Sze
Roots: To My Daughter by Virginia Rinaldy Terris
The Potato by Roderick Townley
Swimming Lesson by Wyatt Townley
Choice by Donna Trussell
Passacaglia by Lequita Vance-watkins
On Hearing That A Potato Costs $70 In Sarajevo by Gloria Vando
The Insulted And The Injured (the Speaker Is A Small Potato Overlooked by Peter Viereck
One Man's Potato Chip by Diana Von Zweck
The Duchess Potatoes by Diane Wakoski
Today The Grandpa Dug Potatoes by Opal Whitely
Outside by Susan Whitmore
Potato by Richard Wilbur
In Praise Of The Potato by David Williams
A Potato Escape by Robley, Jr. Wilson
Alice Potato by Thomas Zvi Wilson
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

Product Details

• Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: Helicon Nine Editions (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884235220
• ISBN-13: 978-1884235221
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,878,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stanzas For the Spudophile, June 2, 2010

By 

Spudman (Pasadena, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spud Songs: An Anthology of Potato Poems : To Benefit Hunger Relief (Paperback)

This collection of potato poetry was published in 1999 by Hellicon Nine Editions which promised to donate 15% of the book's price to Share Our Strength, "one of the nation's leading anti-hunger, anti-poverty groups. Gloria Vando and Robert Stewart, who also wrote the book's introduction, edited Spud Songs.

This is an varied and eclectic mix of poetry, mostly free verse, some structured, some stream of consciousness, some narrative, some humorous, some lyrical, and some barely over the line differentiating poetry and prose. The reader will find a bite of everything here, a veritable smorgasbord of spud verse and sentiment.


A book with such a grand and diverse collection of authors, styles, moods, and topics can't be painted with a single brush stroke. Thought the poems of Spud Songs share a common theme, the products of the authors vary widely

The quality of the poetry in this collection is quite uneven, and sad to say, too many are disappointing. My expectations were high considering the pedigree of the authors. Much of the verse, if written without line breaks, would be indistinguishable from prose. Those who favor traditional poetry with rhyme and form, meter and stanza, will be sorely disappointed. Many of the so-called Spud Songs are free form narratives, spotlighting an experience of the author's past and a spud connection.

Each line of one poem begins with letters that spell HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I like this kind of creativity.
Some poems connect with the reader's experience, some inspire thought and reflection, some provoke smiles, and some are regrettably too forgettable save for the spud reflections. Maxine Chernoff's memorable poem "Breasts" is mostly about breasts with a few lines of gratuitous potato talk embedded. I don't really understand the poem, but it held my attention.

Interspersed throughout the book is some graphic art also. A lithograph by Gertrude Degenhardt of a person holding two spoons bearing potatoes is quite good. Also to be found in this book are potato print art, potato photographs, paintings, and mixed media art. Jan Gilbert's Four French Fries is one of my favorites, its four fries in stark contrast to the dark background makes a profound statement. I'm not sure what that statement is, but I'm sure it's profound.

This is not a book with mass appeal. It might one day be considered a fry by night hash in the pan.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL!!!!!, October 24, 1999

By 

C. McDade (MONROE, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spud Songs: An Anthology of Potato Poems : To Benefit Hunger Relief (Paperback)

There are many fine poems in this volume! Check out Brian Daldorph's "Spuds" for starters. (Page 133)