Things Happen: Poems of Survival

by Emma Lou Warner Thayne

Thayne, Emma Lou

80 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 1991

About the author

Emma Lou Thayne has written thirteen books of poetry, fiction, essays, and travel stories as well as the hymn, “Where Can I Turn for Peace?” She has been widely anthologized and has published internationally on kinship and peace among people and nations. She has received numerous honors and awards, including the David O. McKay Humanities Award, the Association for Mormon Letters award for poetry, and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Utah. A service center has also been named in her honor—The Emma Lou Thayne Community Service Center.

Emma Lou has taught English and was the women’s tennis coach at the University of Utah. She has been married to Mel Thayne for sixty years and has five daughters, eighteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Reviews

[Chrisanne]

For someone loved L.M. Montgomery's Emily Starr series, you'd think that I would love poetry.

But no.

I love good music. I love good music +lyrics.

But just lyrics or poetry on its own?

Generally a hard pass.

That's not to say I don't experience any thrills reading Shakespeare or Keats or Byron. Tennyson has some beautiful stuff. I can occasionally get behind the Brownings. Even Emily Starr has some good lines. I would sometimes offer extra credit to people who memorized and recited poems in my class and I loved the days when they did.

But, while there were a few lines in here that I "got," that touched me in some deeper way, for the most part they didn't really connect with me. Everyone gripes about the overabundance of art dedicated to love, but at least that is a common experience... not like visiting Siberia which few of us have done and that same few probably have no interest in doing.

I'm not sure if that's all on me or if it is somewhat her so no rating.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Lou Thayne. Brilliant. Always.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Lou Thayne wrote the LDS Hymn Where Can I Turn For Peace. I love that hymn and was prepared to love this poetry. I do. This writer amazes me.

I write more about reading over here.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm trying to appreciate poetry that is so specific you can't find yourself in it. I like how Thayne sees the world, and "Where Can You Turn for Peace" solidified her place in the canon, but maybe I'll try her other collections before I make a final judgment.