What Have You Lost? (Paperback)

~ Naomi Shihab Nye (Author) "This is to poems that get lost in the dark, poems that flutter away, white moths just out of reach, camouflaged against rough plaster of..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-"Loss" may seem a curious subject around which to center a collection of poetry, but this fine anthology feels absolutely natural. Lost memories, lost relationships, regret-each poem pierces and then releases readers, who pocket a new treasure at the end of each page. Naomi Nye has brought together over 100 selections from well-known adult poets as well as from those who are new or not widely published, from around the world. Notes on the contributors include quotes from the poets about their lives and work. Jennifer Weinblatt says, "Teenagers are often accused of melodrama, but there is a lot of genuine drama inherent in the teenage years...," and this sensibility permeates the collection. Michael Nye's black-and-white photographic portraits are as inventive and speak as much as the poems; in fact, they work best if viewed as independent works of art, instead of as illustrations. They add to the precise design of the book, on whose pages the words "What Have You Lost?" "What Have You Found?" float like random, ghostly reminders. As with Ruth Gordon's collection, Pierced by a Ray of Sun (HarperCollins, 1995), and Liz Rosenberg's Earth-Shattering Poems (Holt, 1995), What Have You Lost? puts into the hands of young adults new poems that speak to that intensely lonely, but consciousness-exploding time when they find themselves "Lost again,/where the world begins" (John Brandi's "Wilderness Poem").
Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-12. "I am so in love I can't find my hat." There is nothing portentous about the contemporary poems and the occasional black-and-white photographs by Michael Nye in this anthology. The losses range from the trivial (a glove left in an airport terminal) to the tragic (a husband killed in Vietnam). In fact, as Nye points out in her splendid introduction, one reason why we fuss so much about petty losses is because we cannot bear to face the inevitable larger ones that can never be redeemed or reclaimed. This is a large collection of 140 poets, some well known (including William Stafford and Lucille Clifton), many published here for the first time, several in translation. Different poems will grab individual readers, depending on where they are now. The full-page portraits, mostly of teens, are never literal illustrations; whether posed or candid, they make you imagine their stories. The poets' voices are so intensely personal that you just have to turn to the biographical notes at the back after you have read each poem. They speak of failure, of being a "loser," of language (one bilingual poem is about what gets lost, not in translation, but between the happening of love or pain and its coming into words). Nuala Archer says plainly, "To lose or be lost quickens everything." Tell English teachers about this collection; they will find it a great stimulus for students' personal writing. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (May 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380733072
• ISBN-13: 978-0380733071
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,270 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Have You Lost?, December 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What Have You Lost? (Hardcover)

This is a collection of poems about losing things, for all age groups. From losing pencils, keys, toys, parents, siblings, spouses, trust and freindship. A very moving book of poetry. It contains excellent black and white illustrations and I recommend it for students from the 5th grade up, as well as parents and teachers.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I was moved by this collection of poetry., October 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What Have You Lost? (Hardcover)

I purchased this book on a whim for my 9 year old son. He found some of the ideas very sad. We enjoyed talking about the different types of losses. I definately got more out of it than he did. I have enjoyed sharing it with my friends. The poetry comes from many kinds of experiences and is a great all around poetry experience.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars powerful voices, that speak very personally about loss, March 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What Have You Lost? (Hardcover)

I have only skimmed through this book but what I have found fills my soul. sister by andy young on p122 speaks so directly to me and probably to millions of others. In a way it makes me feel comforted, knowing that what we all share is loss. We all have loss in our lives and we learn and grow from it and somehow become stronger. I thank Naomi from the bottom of my heart for putting her time and energy into this beautiful compilation.