Reader's Shelf

From Library Journal Poetry Rocks!

Verses By Difranco, Ani 2007-09 - Seven Stories Press 9781583228234 Check Our Catalog "She's got the gift of lyrical precision-nothing cuts to the core quite like the resolution of DiFranco rhyme."-"Billboard" With eight Grammy nominations, a gold record, and sales of over 4.5 million, Ani DiFranco is one of America's most fiercely independent and beloved musicians, as well as an outspoken voice of conscience. For the first time, she releases a book of poetry and paintings capturing her essential artistry that has helped define and invigorate a new generation. "Ani DiFranco: Verses" rages, eulogizes, menaces, revels, and envisions. With a poet's precision and a citizen's take, DiFranco finds the meeting places of intimacy and politics, of self and country, of resolve and compromise, and of the fickle and magnificent capacities of love and solitude. In 1990 at the age of eighteen, Ani DiFranco rewrote the rules of the record industry when she created her own label, Righteous Babe Records, as an alternative to beckoning corporate offices. Since then, RBR has released twenty-one full-length DiFranco albums to critical acclaim, and is now home to over a dozen cutting-edge new artists. DiFranco was named one of the top twenty-five most influential artists of the past twenty-five years by "CMJ New Music" (alongside Nirvana and U2) and one of 21 Feminists for the 21st Century by "Ms. Magazine". Together with "Ani DiFranco: Verses", she released her first retrospective album, "Canon", in September, and proceeded on a twenty-city tour in the United States. …More

Hello Sunshine By Adams, Ryan 2009-12 - Akashic Books 9781933354958 Check Our Catalog With the release of "Hello Sunshine," singer/songwriter Adams continues to break literary ground with a new work that provides perhaps an even deeper insight into the man than is revealed through the songs that have resonated with his fans. …More

A Night Without Armor: Poems By Jewel Afterword by Jewel Author Ashanti 1999-08 - It Books 9780061073625 Check Our Catalog Now available in paperback--the bestselling collection of intimate poetry from singer-songwrier Jewel, one of today's most beloved popular music artists. (Poetry) …More

The Haiku Year By Martin, Douglas A. Author Phillips, Grant Lee Author Roth, Rick 2004-03 - Soft Skull Press 9781932360165 Check Our Catalog Seven friends made a pact to write haikus every day for a year as a way to keep in touch with each other. The result is "The Haiku Year." Michael Stipe's entries recall his twilight-drenched lyrics for R.E.M. Douglas Martin's spare, elegant prose illuminates the hidden corners of life while Grant Lee Phillips thoughtful storytelling is pared down to the simplest language. Hinting at the transcendence and banality of everyday life, the short verses signify an appreciation for small moments of beauty and ultimately urge readers to let these realizations pierce through the numbness of their daily routines. Photographs are included. …More

The Lords and the New Creatures By Morrison, Jim 1971-10 - Fireside Books 9780671210441 Check Our Catalog Intense, erotic, and enigmatic, Jim Morrison's persona is as riveting now as the lead singer/composer "Lizard King" was during The Doors' peak in the late sixties. His fast life and mysterious death remain controversial more than twenty years later. "The Lords and the New Creatures, " Morrison's first published volume of poetry, is an uninhibited exploration of society's dark side -- drugs, sex, fame, and death -- captured in sensual, seething images. Here, Morrison gives a revealing glimpse at an era and at the man whose songs and savage performances have left their indelible impression on our culture. …More

Auguries of Innocence By Smith, Patti 2008-06 - Ecco Press 9780060832674 Check Our Catalog This new collection of verse from one of "rock's original poets" (New York Times) effectively transmits the effect and aura, as well as the innocence, that make Smith a rock star. …More