Isn't It Romantic: 100 Love Poems by Younger American Poets

by Brett Fletcher Lauer (Editor), Charles Simic (Introduction), Aimee Kelley (Editor)

Written by 100 American poets, Isn’t It Romantic offers an engaging look at how contemporary poets respond afresh to the well-trammeled territory of the love poem. Award-winning poets from across the country lend their voices to this important document of contemporary poetry. The book also features a bonus full-length audio CD of love songs by independent recording artists. Anthology Contributors Karen Volkman, Joe Wenderoth, Eleni Sikelianos, Juliana Spahr, Brenda Shaughnessy, Matthew Rohrer, Claudia Rankine, D.A. Powell, Hoa Nguyen, Noelle Kocot, Lisa Jarnot, Kevin Young, Brian Henry, Christine Hume, Matthea Harvey, Arielle Greenberg, Thalia Field, Thomas Sayers Ellis, Timothy Donnelly, Olena Kalytiak Davis, Stephen Burt, Joshua Beckman, and more. Contributors to the audio CD David Berman, Richard Buckner, Vic Chesnutt, Ida, Doug Martsch, Mark Mulcahy, Megan Reiley, Jenny Toomey and more. Editor Brett Fletcher Lauer is the poetry in motion director at the Poetry Society of America and poetry editor of CROWD Magazine . He is the co-editor of Poetry In Motion from Coast to Coast (W. W. Norton, 2002) and his poems have appeared in BOMB , Boston Review , and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn. Editor Aimee Kelley is the editor and publisher of CROWD Magazine . She received her BA in English from UC Berkeley and her MFA from the New School for Social Research. She has worked at non-profit organizations such as the Council of Literary Magazines & Presses and the Academy of American Poets. Her poems have appeared in Denver Quarterly , Spinning Jenny , 811 Books and elsewhere. Charles Simic (Introduction) is the author of many books of poems, including The World Doesn’t End , winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize. He teaches writing at the University of New Hampshire.

Genres: Poetry

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

Brett Fletcher Lauer is the deputy director of the Poetry Society of America and the poetry editor of A Public Space, and the author of memoir Fake Missed Connections: Divorce, Online Dating, and Other Failures, and the poetry collection A Hotel In Belgium. In addition to co-editing several anthologies, including Please Excuse this Poem: 100 News Poets for the Next Generation and Isn’t It Romantic: 100 Love Poems by Younger American Poets, he is the poetry co-chair for the Brooklyn Book Festival.

Reviews

[Audrey Babkirk Wellons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate to say it, but the real reason to get this book is for the accompanying 20-song CD. Silver Jews, CocoRosie, Richard Buckner, Vic Chesnutt, Chuck Prophet, Magnolia Electric Co., and a bunch of relative unknowns. Damntastic!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any anthologies, there are a mix of writers and some are better than others. But I am willing to give this higher stars because it arrived in my life at the perfect moment on the perfect day and it included David Berman and Maggie Nelson.

[Rachel Doose · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Favorites: "A Poem to Line my Casket With, Ramona" by Josh Bell; "The various multitudes contained by the loves of my love" by Anselm Berrigan; "Self Portrait in Horse Hair Wig" by Cynthia Cruz; "Isn't It Romantic" by Timothy Donnelly; "The Compass Room: East" by Thalia Field; "In Defense of Our Overgrown Garden" by Matthew Harvey; "The Sore Throat" by Aaron Kunin; "In Las Vegas" by Katy Lederer; Subway in March, 5:45pm" by Maggie Nelson; "Credo" by Matthew Rohrer; "Romanticism" by Spencer Short

[Book Concierge · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like poetry, and I definitely do not need a neat rhyme or rhythm to enjoy the form. However, many of these poems did absolutely nothing for me. I did not recognize love or passion or longing in them and I got the impression that these young poets were just trying too hard to be clever.

Definitely not a “romantic” collection, in my humble opinion.

[MelMon Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the diverse use of writers throughout the book. There were some that took more time to sit and ponder the meaning of the words. But that is what a book and a poem is to do, make you think, make you feel. The CD was an added bonus and the feelings came in waves to the tunes that touched my senses.

[W.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'm partial since I'm in this book. But I really admire the works selected by the editors. And the c.d. that came with it has some really great alternative to extreme fringe music on it that I also like.

[Asia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really excellent compilation of poems by young poets. Poets who see the world in various hues of cynical hopelessnes and a general need for something brighter. I really enjoyed the poems in this book and hope to see more from these talented poets. I think they will all do great things.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found some thought provoking poems.

[martha]

Horrifically bad cover, awesome contents.