Nevertheless

by Wendy Videlock

Poetry. NEVERTHELESS is the acclaimed first full-length poetry collection from American poet, Wendy Videlock. These are highly original poems written in Videlock's unique style and inimitable voice. They cover the gamut from fun, quirky, witty, to wise, in the backdrop of the slopes of the American West, through the gradients of human experience. "Mother Goose jacked up on something barely legal? No, it's Wendy Videlock, bewitching poet of the West, sister to those who have 'failed to walk on water'. There is a formal zing to these poems of anarchy and grace. Videlock reminds us that serious poetry can be fun to read. Somehow, too, she has smuggled in a bag of wisdom"--David Mason.

Genres: Poetry

122 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2011

Reviews

[Uche Ogbuji · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll have to come back and expand on this review, but what an engaging, witty, well-crafted volume!

[Claudia Putnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catching up on poetry reviews... Wowza. Videlock is something else, and we're pretty lucky to have her around in Western Colorado, dropping pearls in local workshops.

Oh, and by the way, published "most recently and notably in Poetry magazine," and that lot.

Videlock is known for her tight structure, gorgeous imagery, and sly wit... Often elegiac and invocational at the same time.

Hullo

The word, the stone,
the ringing phone,
the part of me
that wants to be alone,
the vow of silence,
in the reeds;
God descends
in ravenese.

The vinegar tasters
dip their fingers,
make their faces:
stoic, bitter,
strangely sweet.
The seeker leaves
for Bangladesh,
the prophets check

for signs of theft,
the singers sing
for what is left.
The children breathe.
Come of age.
Search the faces
for a taste
of what's to come:
the widening road,
the row your boat,
the choked with weeds,
the rabbit hole.

This holding on.

The word, the stone,
the ringing phone.
The part of we
that answers when alone.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, philosophical, rhyming bursts of color that stick in your head like a catchy song. I loved this book. If you're not sold, read this poem to get a taste (although this one, sadly, doesn't appear in the book): http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetr...

[Emily_syphus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this; there are several poems I want to go back to.

[Daniel Klawitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books of poetry published in the United States in the past five years. Wendy is a verbal athlete, her rhymes and poetic voice are like a sly wink seducing you deeper into the poems where you often will find yourself chuckling out loud and then pondering for days later the epiphanies that she so artfully weaves into her work. I've returned to this collection again and again and can't recommend it enough.

[Ralph Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!