The Lit Pub has published a review of my book, Chronicles of a Bee Whisperer, which is (in my opinion) extremely awesome. What makes the fact even more awesome, though, is the fact that this is the first review that my book has received.
Might I recommend a hearty ‘Hurrah!’ for that?
Written by David S. Atkinson, author of Bones Buried in the Dirt, the review examines a few of my poems and is, really, exactly the kind of review that an author should want. I’m grateful that someone has taken the time to not only read my book, but also to write about it. It’s a great honor.
From the review:
“I found the writing to be very approachable. That may not be a big deal for some of you, but I’m not exactly a poetry scholar. I like reading poetry, but I haven’t devoted the same kind of rigor to its study that I have to fiction.
…
All together, these poems span an impressive range. Whatever you are looking for, it’s probably here. And, more importantly, along the way you will likely find things you should have been looking for without knowing that you should have.”
This is probably the single greatest thing that the reviewer could have said about my work. When I write poetry, I try to write it so that it can be understood by people who may not have the strongest poetic background. I try to write so that anyone could pick up the poetry and understand it and (hopefully) enjoy it. Poetry is for everyone, not just for people who have had the opportunity to take a course on it or devote a lot of time to its study.
The fact that this has actually come through in the final product makes me proud; nothing could please me more.
You can find the rest of the review here.
As always, feel free to share your thoughts! What has your experience with reviews been? What has your experience with poetry been like?