No Other Life: Days, Braver Deeds, If He Had

by Gary Young, Peter Johnson

In lean poems, trimmed of all extraneous words and yet full of unsettling details, Gary Young exposes our collective tragedies. From national crime news to his mother’s suicide, he brings the narrative style of a storyteller to descriptions of pain and loss. Winner of the Poetry Society of America's 2003 William Carlos Williams award, No Other Life brings together in one volume the three books of Young's Days, Braver Deeds, and If He Had.

Genres: Poetry

177 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Gary Young is a poet, artist, printer, and educator. His numerous awards include recognition from the Poetry Society of America—the 2013 Lucille Medwick Memorial Award (2013), the Shelley Memorial Award (2009), the William Carlos Williams Award (2003), and the Lyric Poem Award (2001). Gary has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, and his print work is represented in the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Getty Center for the Arts, and special collection libraries throughout the country. He teaches Creative Writing, and is the Director of the Cowell Press at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Reviews

[Benjamin Niespodziany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavy, meditative prose poems from three previous collections. A great introduction into the emotional work of Gary Young. Some will bring tears, some will bring smiles, and most will bring both. Like one long prayer with a few punchlines throughout.

[Lorene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful prose poetry.

[Zoë Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does goodreads have a re-read or re-reading shelf? Because I love this book and have reread it many times. Most recently this fall.

[Dieter Byttebier · Rating 3 out of 5]

some good texts

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three books in one. These are prose poems with a sentence that sounds like English translations of Asian poetry. And then the last section happens. It happens really well, I'm just not sure how it happens.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

prose poetry that doesn't really care if it made you want to cry. some intensely wondrous awe-staking poems, some brutal realizations on life and all of its unfairness

[Rauan · Rating 5 out of 5]

a master of the short prose poem

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is my review: http://booksandbowelmovements.wordpre...

[Reacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb collection overall. Braver Deeds was my favorite of the three included books.

[Liz Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, like a Chinese meditation garden.

[Husayn · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing. this is what i want to write

[Amber Momoh mcmains · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't recommend this more...