Range of the Possible: Conversations with Contemporary Poets

by Tod Marshall

A collection of interviews with American poets by Tod Marshall.

Genres: Poetry

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Pachyderm Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a how-to-book for either writing or enjoying poetry. It is rather about the creation of a poem and what such creation represents to the poet creating said artifact, and for what it mens to both writer and reader as a continuation and ongoing motivation of literary craft.

Here's wishing I'd read this book or otherwise had access to it as a younger man.

Favorite interviewees showcased in this book:

Kim Addonizio
Gillian Conoley
Robert Hass
Brenda Hillman
Christopher Howell

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading these interviews. I didn't understand a lot of the references that were made to schools of writing and different authors but I loved how deeply and generously these writers believe in the power of poetry to improve the world individually and generally.

Favorite interviews:
Li-Young Lee
Dave Smith
Dorianne Laux

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book's worth reading for the Li-Young Lee interview alone, though there are many other great responses in here as well.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admittedly I only read interviews with the poets I was familiar with (about 1/3rd of the book), but I enjoyed the sort of tangential, anecdotal, random feel of these discussions. I'd go back to this.