Like Thunder: Poets Respond to Violence in America

by Virgil Suárez (Editor), Ryan G. Van Cleave

From Waco to Columbine, from Oklahoma City to New York City, from domestic abuse and drive-by shootings to religious fanaticism and acts of terrorism, the poems in this collection are for those who have perished and those who have survived. More than 140 poems by 120 poets focus, in the editors' words, on the violence in the news, the violence in our schools, the violence in our homes, as well as the violence in our own minds. The poets gathered here articulate terror and suffering but also present images of hope and redemption; they write of individual menaces and individual victims and the melding of the two that potentially exists in everyone. By transforming horrifying details into larger truths, they create a poetry of witness, of survival, and of remembrance.

Genres: Poetry

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Jonathan Rosenthal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some deeply cathartic, some deeply angry, some deeply reflective work here. The rage overpowered much of this collected volume for me.

[Isaac Timm · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection that showcases the power of poetry. The subject matter is varied but all are poems related to the heavy theme of violence in all it's forms. I though I would get bogged down by the sheer emotional weight of a collection of poems about violence but the number of vioces and styles keeps it fresh, and the reader moving forward. It give voices to victims and humanity to a subject that continues to effect so many, but isn't taked about nearly enough. The lasting cost of violence on the human spirit.