Doing 70

by Hettie Jones

Poetry. While Hettie Jones' past collections of poetry "combined prosaic diction with a knowing, urban wit .This new collection of several dozen short, unsentimental works primarily located in New York City, Jones's longtime home, extend her territory"--Publishers Weekly. "Readers who have appreciated Hettie Jones's previous literary works.will be intrigued and exhilarated by her recent book..an engaging meditation from the personal to the collective that.touches upon a variety of themes"--Rochelle Owens. Hettie Jones is the prize-winning author of two previous collections of poetry All Told and Drive and a memoir How I Became Hettie Jones as well as many other books for children and adults.

Genres: Poetry

90 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Hettie Jones (born 1934 as Hettie Cohen) is best known as the first wife of Amiri Baraka, known as LeRoi Jones at the time of their marriage, but is also a writer herself.

While known for her poetry, she has received acclaim for her memoir, How I Became Hettie Jones (published 1990 by Grove Press).

Jones held various clerical jobs at Partisan Review and started the literary magazine Yugen with her husband. Jones is currently on the faculty in the graduate program in creative writing at The New School in New York City. From 1989-2002 she ran a writing workshop at the New York State Correctional Facility for Women at Bedford Hills, which included inmate Judy Clark as a student, and which published a nationally distributed collection, Aliens At The Border. Jones is a former chair of the PEN Prison Writing Committee and is currently a member of PEN's Advisory Council.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Andrea Janov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing Hettie is to encounter a poem in human form. She speaks in rhythms and measured cadence that emanates from her core. Her words are chosen for their text and subtext, they are spoken softly, except when they are not. I was lucky enough to be Hettie's student at SUNY Purchase, and this collection made me feel close to her energy and mentorship.