Maps

by John Freeman

Freeman's poetry debut maps the present by way of the past, drawing inspiration from childhood memories, family, and former loves.

Genres: Poetry

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2017

About the author

Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Freeman is an award-winning writer and book critic who has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal. Freeman won the 2007 James Patterson Pageturner Award for his work as the president of the National Book Critics Circle, and was the editor of Granta from 2009 to 2013. He lives in New York City, where he teaches at NYU and edits a new literary biannual called Freeman's.

Reviews

[Jay Jolles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still learning to read poetry like an astute, discerning individual rather than an emotional Tumblr loser who wants to tattoo everything I read all over my body. This was such a beautifully wrought meditation on grief and growing up in places that eventually become estranged. It was hard to turn the pages because I wanted to stay with each individual work a little longer than anticipated.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this perched on my sofa, recovering after the painful extraction of a wisdom tooth, all grumpy and thinking of the travelling I could be doing with the money I'm paying for braces. I needed a book to remind me of how important it is to first travel within your own conscience, and how unexpected people can leave unexpected traces inside of you. Freeman's poetry book helped me recover my sense for beauty in all that there is, in every experience, no matter how dry it may seem as I'm having it. Life's not all glitter, life is a map and sometimes you are on the low plains with nothing to see, while other times you find quiet resorts in other people.

[Tommi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This neutral-looking collection of poems by an author with a neutral-sounding name – previous editor of Granta and current editor of Freeman’s – surprised and, at certain points, moved me to the brink of tears. How did that happen? I think Freeman is at his best when he’s most straightforwardly expressing the personal (‘Saudade,’ ‘Summer 1995’) instead of building elaborate palaces of metaphors. February is shaping up to contain plenty of verse, and Maps is certainly a welcome addition to that roster.

[Holly Woodward]

What a beautiful book.
Freeman travels far and wide to glean shards of insight.
The poems haunt me.

[rita rodrigues ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“there’s nothing serious without an end”

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freeman captures in MAPS a portrait of beauty and landscape and love and loss and emptiness, and beauty once again. I traveled upon his words on the pages to most places he described. And I revisited the familiar changing terrain where we both spent at least our teenage years, at rival high schools and with dozens of mutual friends, but somehow never crossing paths until recently. This collection is moving and powerful, and I especially enjoy the portrayal of setting. Recommended reading.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be honest: I borrowed this book because I thought it was actually a book of maps. I wasn't expecting poetry, but I wasn't disappointed. These are lovely poems; evocative and transporting. They explore the map of human emotions from California to Bosnia. My favorite poems were "Rockets" and "Fish". I would like to own a copy of this book.

[Cody Stetzel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really just not my cuppa. Seems very standard, unsurprising poems.

[Maureen Alsop · Rating 5 out of 5]

See video review here: https://poemeleon.me/videoreview-maps...

[Lightwhisper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Não gostei da poesia, embora o tradutor português escrevesse melhor do que o original. Vantagem de poder ler em inglês e português. Como tradução não é das melhores, se o tradutor quer escrever o seu livro, que o faça que tem talento.