Waking the Deaf Dog: Poems [Paperback]

Michael David Madonick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2000

Poetry

Editorial Reviews

Review

This poet doesn't shy. Michael Madonick's poems address our core concerns, with death, faith, parenting, and historical and personal accountability. His best work is distinguished by a clarity of intent, and empathy, most often for the small or isolated. We find here a consistent, convincing and uniquely authorial voice, propelled by a rich and nimble diction and prosodic resourcefulness. The speaker is accessible always, the poems documenting an intelligent, open-minded and open-hearted engagement with the world. -- John Witte/ Northwest Review

About the Author

Michael David Madonick is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois. He was born and raised in New York City and educated at Rollins College and the University of Oregon. He is a recipient of the Academy of American Poets' Prize, the New Jersey Council on the Arts "Distinguished Artist" Award, an Illinois Arts Council Grant, and an Illinois Arts Council Literary Award. His poems have appeared in numerous journals, anthologies, and literary magazines, including BOULEVARD, NEW ENGLAND REVIEW, EPOCH, CHICAGO REVIEW, AMERICAN LITERARY REVIEW, SOUTHERN HUMANITIES REVIEW, and TAR RIVER POETRY. He lives in Urbana, Illinois with his wife, Brigit, and their son, Macklin.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Avocet; 1st edition (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966107284
• ISBN-13: 978-0966107289
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Umlauts, Sardines, Harold Bloom: A Rage for Order, May 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Waking the Deaf Dog: Poems (Paperback)

This is a smart collection that is fun to read! From "The Sardine Can" to "The Umlaut" to "Letter to my Ex-Wife Who is Having Lunch with Harold Bloom Tomorrow," this book is full of poems that surprise the reader. It is refreshing to find a collection that is humorous without being excessively slapstick, and serious without being morose or self-pitying. The use of couplets is outstanding--the form--especially the enjambed couplets--allows for constant realizations on the part of the speaker as he continually discovers things about his world. The turns in the language propel the speaker into deeper insights. In addition, the couplets give the poems a slower, meditative pace that is handled very well. In "Letter..." the hints of Stevens' influence are intelligent gestures that are concluded well with signing the letter "...Love, Ramon." This is probably the Ramon of Stevens' "Idea of Order at Key West." And this is just one lovely stitch in the quilt of this collection.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Orville Redenbacher, May 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Waking the Deaf Dog: Poems (Paperback)

This book is a particularly engaging collection of poetry, due in no small portion to the strength of speaker and tone. One reviewer mistakenly read this tone as self-serving, which entriely ignores the way in which so many of these poems express a certain feeling of marginalization which is instantly identifiable. Madonick's poems dive wholeheartedly into themes of family and human interaction in general, with a voice that refuses to become bogged down in unecessary abstractions. This is a book that is artistic without being "arty" or pretensious. There is an unswerving honesty here that is complemented by impressively strong poetic language, and an interestingly cohesive use of imagery. It's a good book. Read it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book of poems, July 29, 2001

By 

Friedrich Nietzsche (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waking the Deaf Dog: Poems (Paperback)

Although there are other individual works out there by Madonick that are possibly better (one piece from the Florida Review comes to mind), this set of poems is worth a look.

Simple ideas open into new worlds, suggestive of a mix between Champaign-Urbana and Alice's Wonderland. Truly, Madonick has something that is unique in it's character; unassuming brilliance that opens doors and lets us see the simple beauty of everyday, and beyond.