Poetry Books
Poetry, as a genre accessible to the common reader, is thankfully making a comeback after decades of neglect. The Beat poets of the 1950s and '60s, including Allen Ginsberg, were the last whose names were widely known until rap, poetry slams, and Def Poetry Jam brought at least an oral poetry back into the public consciousness. In 2006, Ted Kooser, the Poet Laureate of the United States, began publishing serious but accessible poetry in the nation's newspapers. Fashions in poetry have often swung back and forth between what is known as "the cooked and the raw." "Cooked" poetry often follows rules of form, such as the standard definition of a sonnet. Precision in language is considered a must. Cooked poems may or may not rhyme, but if there is rhyme, it is subject to the form. The composition of a cooked poem is both an emotional and rational process. Raw poetry, in contrast, eschews rhyme completely and clings to only the barest bones of structure, though often with a strong organic rhythm. Emotion is all, and revision is suspect. These two styles alternate in popularity and feed off each other, each style pushing the other to new heights. Small presses such as Bouncing Ball Books are the perfect place to find new poetry. In March of 2007, we'll be introducing several poetry collections we're extremely proud of, both written by new and incredibly talented young authors. Dominique Oliviera shows us what it's like to love through the beautiful words and inflections of the Spanish language in Desde De Mi Alma Para Te. Rachel Watson explores the full range of human emotion in Thoughts From Adolescence; A Book of Poems. If you'd like to submit your poetry for publication, contact us at Bouncingballbooks.com for guidelines.
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