Gaining Time: Poems

by Jeanne Murray Walker

Genres: Poetry

79 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1997

About the author

Jeanne Murray Walker's poems and essays have appeared in seven books as well as many periodicals, including Poetry, The Georgia Review, American Poetry Review, Image, The Atlantic Monthly, and Best American Poetry. Among her awards are an NEA Fellowship, eight Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowships, and a Pew Fellowship in The Arts. She is Professor of English at The University of Delaware as well as a mentor in the Seattle Pacific University Low Residency MFA Program. In her spare time Jeanne gardens, cooks, and travels.

Reviews

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please don't let my low(ish) rating stop you from reading other volumes by Walker (or this one as tastes vary, of course...). She is a poet who I have loved in the past but this volume just did not connect with me in the same way that past reads did.

In truth, it took me a *long* time to read this one. While I liked individual poems, I kept finding myself wandering away from the collection as a whole and seeking out other books.

I'm not sure that I can articulate my feelings well about where I stand with this book. Overall, it feels like Walker is tackling smaller questions here than I have seen her go after before if that makes any sense.

It probably is something that I should come back to and reread at a later date. But seriously - check out my reviews of other Walker collections. I truly feel that her poetry is important...

[Caitlin Conlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

the organization/consistency between sections of this book was pretty off-putting, but the writing was absolutely lovely. so, for that, 3.5 stars.

[Paul]

After going half way through the volume, but not connecting with her scenarios or verbal style, I just couldn't keep on further to the end and instead kept finding other things to read. A sign it's time to give up.