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Ordinary Genius: A Guide For The Poet Within (2009)

by Kim Addonizio(Favorite Author)

3.99 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0393334163 (ISBN13: 9780393334166)

languge

English

genre

Poetry

publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

review 1: Words as ToolsAddonizio, Kim (2009). Ordinary genius: A guide for the poet within. New York: W.W.Norton.Poet Addonizio describes her process of creating poetry, supplemented with description of other possible methods, and plenty of fine examples of poetry. There are good discussions of how to observe keenly, working with metaphor and humor, making use of fairy tales and myths, mastering meter, and the process of revision. It’s all solid, well-articulated advice, none of it too simple for even the most experienced poet.I am intimidated by poetry. I thought if I had a better understanding of the craft of writing poetry, it would help my fiction writing. That strategy was only partially successful. I can see that I am no poet and never will be, because I simply do not shar... moree the author’s fascination with words for their own sake. I like ideas. Words are tools. What I wanted to know is how to find better words for the ideas. Perhaps that is something that cannot be taught.There are many excellent exercises, examples, and suggested readings that make the book highly worthwhile for any fiction writer. These, and the plentiful examples, did demystify poetry considerably for me. When it comes to the crucial question of how, or from where, do you get the fur on the ball-turret gunner, there is no clue. Perhaps that can only come from poetic genius, whereas this book is about ordinary genius.The Death of the Ball Turret GunnerRandall JarrellFrom my mother's sleep I fell into the State,And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
review 2: This is an excellent book on poetry. It has wonderful exercises to foster writing and interesting expositions on art and craft. It is written in a lyrical style that draws one into its pages and keeps one coming back to learn more. The book is inspirational and helped me begin writing creatively after a long time in a blocked state.I highly recommend this book to poets looking to improve their writing and other writers looking for creative inspiration. less

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