It's Not You, It's Me: The Poetry of Breakup

by Jerry Williams

It's Not You, It's Me is a poetry anthology--at once amusing, angry, sweet, and bitter--that gives a fresh voice to the all-too-familiar experience of ending a relationship. Williams compiled over 90 poems by contemporary writers including Denis Johnson and Kim Addonizio, as well as former poets laureate Robert Hass, Maxine Kumin, and Mark Strand, whose comforting and healing words dragged him out of his breakup-induced depression. We have all been through a breakup, but these poems have created an art out of sharing their wisdom on the pain of the flip side of romance, and poking fun at the mess we become at the mercy of love.

Genres: Poetry

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2009

About the author

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Reviews

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really good poetry, some bad.

The notable good ones that I won't soon forget are "Minneapolis" by Patricia Smith for being so tortured and honest, and "Charades" by Edward Hirsch for being an entire story in a few lines. This one hurt to read.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of poetry. The book is divided into 3 sections-about to, in the midst of, and the aftermath. There is a nice mix of humor, pathos, and anger.

[Heather scarlett victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't resist a potentially vitriolic anthology of poetry. Who can?

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great poetry collection. My favorite poems are:

• “Privilege of Being” by Robert Hass
• “Curse Four: Orders for the End of Time” by Cynthia Huntington
• “Walking Home Across the Island” by Jack Gilbert
• “Reunions with a Ghost” by Ai
• “Coda” by James Tate
• “Terrible Love” by Kevin Prufer
• “Ex-boyfriends” by Kim Addonizio
• “A Man Alone” by Steve Orlen
• “Goodbye” by Patricia Smith

[Ashlyn Swanhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

the style was just not for me i didn’t like it but it did have some good takeaways to it

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thie book is worth getting just to read the introduction, but the quality of writing doesn't stop with those 9 pages of prose but extend to the poetry as well, a mix of intelligent, hard-experienced, perceptive, poetry that makes you wish you had bought the book instead of just checking it out of the library.

[StacyFace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book after a really, really bad breakup and it did wonders for me. Even now I find myself occasionally perusing its pages renewing to memory my favorite poems and reminding my heart how far we've come. Definitely a must read for anyone who has gone through the motions of heartbreak.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a shame that this collection has the title and cover it has, because it is actually really excellent and introduced me to several new poets. Damn you, marketing!

[Bowie Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection of poems, much like the first mixtape a new boyfriend gives you. I'll definitely be revisiting some of these again.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderful Jenni Ferrari-Adler agented this book, but that's not the only reason you should read it... some truly stellar poems inside.

[Risa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Not Mike]

Hardcover.

A collection of love, muddled relationships, and their aftermath. Not a fan of poetry but this list of poets on the process of love, lust, and hate is worth looking at.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

The poetry was not bad by any means, however it was much more depressing than I expected. This was something that I was simply not looking for.