Honeyvoiced

by Jordi Alonso

140 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Amber Scaife · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of poems inspired by Sappho's fragments. These are so lovely, so well done, so much in the spirit of the originals, but with Alonso's own voice clear and bright throughout. Definitely recommended.

[Nancy Bevilaqua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine Sappho, channeled through a young man, a poet himself, who is in love with language (this is a man who taught himself ancient Greek in order to better savor his beloved Sappho) and with love itself, and with food and friends and stumbling happily homeward at dawn with wine on his breath and a lover on his mind. Imagine perfect white stones on a Greek beach, and a bowl of bright berries beside them, or staring up at the stars from the beach on a clear summer night with a new friend who may become a lover. These are the best ways I can think of to describe the poems of Honeyvoiced, although Willis Barnstone, the revered poet and translator of Sappho, the New Testament, and much more, has done an excellent job of it himself--no small honor for a poet of any age. Each line is fresh, spare, and vivid, and the poems--like Sappho's fragments, which inspire Alonso's--are delightfully intimate and often playful. Honeyvoiced is a delicate, delicious treat.