Bringing Together: Uncollected Early Poems 1958-1989

by Maxine Kumin

"The power that Kumin draws from and brings to literature is potent and seemingly inexhaustible."― Booklist Collected here for the first time, these early poems inhabit Kumin's own "sneakstorm time," a space one step to the side, where quiet introspection examines the pain of loss, the idealism of youth, and the endurance of the natural world. Her characteristic earthy wisdom snaps with intensity, offering a refreshing perspective on everyday experiences. "New England farm life, modern American history, Jewish identity and a quietly vibrant feminist consciousness provide themes for this gathering from a long and distinguished career."― Publishers Weekly .

Genres: Poetry

124 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2003

About the author

Maxine Kumin's 17th poetry collection, published in the spring of 2010, is Where I Live: New and Selected Poems 1990-2010. Her awards include the Pulitzer and Ruth Lilly Poetry Prizes, the Poets’ Prize, and the Harvard Arts and Robert Frost Medals. A former US poet laureate, she and her husband lived on a farm in New Hampshire. Maxine Kumin died in 2014.

Reviews

[R.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might like something else from this author more. Technically I like the wordsmithery, but the poems' subjects often left me flat. A good deal of them were very personal, which made me often feel like I was missing the point.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I celebrate new author discoveries.

And this voice, new to me, is a great find.