Customer Reviews

Unsettling America

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If this book is not on your shelves, or better yet, in your bag, you are wrong! Put it right next to your Norton. It's that important...

Forget the status quo of the Norton anthologies and the self-importance of the Best of American Poetry series; this is THE anthology that belongs on everyone's shelves. The Gillan's have compiled and arranged an eclectic selection of work from a great combination of poets both well-known and should-be-better-known. Broken into five thematic "chapters," it is laid out like a narrative, with different poets effortlessly flowing into one another and can be read from cover to cover like your favorite historical novel.

One of the most honest and needed collections around. This anthology is wonderfully edited with a great selection of writers and work. It is very comprehensive and is loaded with truths America needs to hear. Hats go off to the editors !

UNSETTLING AMERICA does just that. It brings into question settled ideas of American-ness and what it means to be an American. In additon the organziation of the book is such that the authors appear to be having a conversation about various aspects of conneaction and lack of connection to their own roots and cultures and to America as amelting pot and an opportunity to reinvision the promise of America. The work is clear, powerful, moving, exciting. It works out very well in a classroom or discussion group as it is very thought provoking. Also it makes great bedside reading. I relaly love this booka nd have bought many copies to share with my friends.

...This book can become too much of a whining complaint intone, but there are some poets who transcend the tone and create very moving poems on the themes, ie. Miguel Algarin, Daniela Gioseffi, Amiri Baraka, Ishmael Reed, and Sophia-Henderson Holmes write poems not to be missed, works that are moving and well crafted. Gillan herself should have stayed out of the book. Her tone is too sentimental, too self-conscious, and prosaic. The poets named in this review are worth the price of the book, however, just skip the boring introduction by Jennifer Gillan and enjoy the poets named here.. END