Julie G’s Reviews > The Death of Sitting Bear: New and Selected Poems > Status Update

Man, you got a couple of these, huh? This defintely seems like a book I need to read. Thanks for sharing some highlights :)

Arthur,
Here's the thing that's unusual about this collection: his poems either knock me out, or they bore me. There is almost no middle ground. He published this work in his mid-80s, so he might have had some issues maintaining the quality of his work?

Interesting. I think it's truly a gift to be able to... well, maintain yourself at that age. But there are plenty of authors (& other artists) who have managed it. The beautiful pieces you shared prove it, I guess. I think it will be interesting reading the boring ones, too. Even if it's just to recognize they're boring. There's a certain kind of wisdom that I think comes with that age.

I agree. Interestingly, I just recently read and reviewed another collection, by American poet, Carl Sandburg, who ALSO published his collection, HONEY AND SALT, at the age of 84, after a very long and illustrious writing career. In his collection, I didn't feel a lack of stamina, or ideas, but I did feel a sort of "cantankerous" vibe, if you will. And WHO CAN BLAME HIM, right?? He thought the world was falling apart, in 1963. . . little did he know how much farther it would fall!!
Hey! I see you are from Australia. I don't know if you're friends with Mark Porton on here or not, but he's a good friend of mine, and I just asked him, this week, if he could recommend any Australian poets for my project this year. I'm familiar with only one: Les Murray. Here's the problem: it's a little challenging to find international poetry collections here, and I typically must special order and they're typically pricey. I'm wondering now if you follow Australian poetry and/or if you could recommend a really famous one? The more well known, the better, I think.

I want to like poetry so much - I've tried across authors and books - but I just can't so far (I'm a bit shamed)

Leif,
I always say that people who don't think they can get into poetry just haven't me their poet yet. Any chance you know this book: Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories

It unfortunately says "Sorry, this person isn't accepting messages." when I tried PMing you, but if you are cool sending me your email or some way to contact you, I have a copy of "Les Murray - The Best 100 Poems of Les Murray". If, y'know, you aren't opposed to pirating books lol. I do know at least one other Australian poet whose book I thought was really great, but she'd probably be even harder to find than Lee. That one's Vertigo by Jordie Albiston if you want to try your hand at finding it :)

& to Leif, on top of Julie's reccomendation, if you want something a bit out there, my favourite poet is Arthur Rimbaud, a 19th Century French poet who quit when he was still a teenager. & if you want something a bit more traditional, Shakespeare had some wonderful sonnets :)

Arthur,
I am always humbled by our desire on here to share our books with others. People have sent me books from all over the world, through the years, and I think it's what makes readers the most special types of people. I appreciate your offer, but first let me see what I can find. I doubt my library will have either, but Thrift books may very well carry both. My Les Murray collection that I have here, KILLING THE BLACK DOG, was so depressing, I had to stop reading it. (Thanks for mentioning Jordie Albiston).

My recommendation to Leif was very specific. I have found that Raymond Carver's straight-forward language, lack of rhyme, and honesty in his poems are very approachable. It feels like Carver's just telling you a story, and you get pulled in, quickly. Leif has a highly intelligent and edgy reading style, so I was curious how Carver would land with him.

(One of my favorite scenes from SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is when Willoughby hands Marianne Dashwood his own little collection of Shakespeare's sonnets right from his pocket. Now that's class!)

"I think it's what makes readers the most special types of people" I totally agree! I quit all social media in 2012 - except for Goodreads lol (if we can call it that). I have found so many lovely people, so many lovely opinions, I feel quite blessed. &, obviously, so many lovely recommendations. It's always rewarding to hear what another reader may have been so affected by, to know what has the ability to literally change a person's life. I'ma have to read Sense & Sensibility now. It's been on my list a long time, & I'm just wrapping up a re-read of Wuthering Heights, so hopefully that's a nice segue into it haha.

Well, I've wanted to reread WUTHERING HEIGHTS for a while now, and I still haven't, so I guess we're in opposite roles! You look pretty young to be reading such classics, but I guess I started them young, too. Really young, actually. I remember reading Thomas Hardy as a young teen and thinking he was so romantic. Ha! Now I think his work is depressing as hell.
Jane Austen's PERSUASION is so brilliant, you might need to start there. The BBC made a film of it with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root, sometime in the 1990s, and it honestly makes me a little weak in the knees. I think the protagonist of PERSUASION, Anne Elliot, may be Austen's deepest female character. I want to feed her broth and wrap her in blankets. She has my heart, always!

lmao that's great. I'll have to try & track down that BBC film... after I read it. I really try not to watch any movies based on books until I read them. Which is hindering me at the moment, as, kinda embarrassing, a chick flick was just put out called "People We Meet on Vacation" which is based on a novel by Emily Henry whose book Book Lovers I really liked. I think you can dig the premise, but I wasn't quite ready... for the more 'romantic' scenes. I've been meaning to read more of her work for years now, so I guess it's a perfect time with the movie to catch up!

Oh my goodness, don't ever watch the movie before the book! Horrors! But, wait, I do have a recent exception--I watched a movie called "The Penguin Lessons" and cried like a baby, and at the end of the credits, it said, "based on a book by Tom Michell." So now I MUST read the book and go about it backwards. It's not my fault!

I'm sorry if I keep bothering you on here, I'm kinda austistic lol. But are there any movies you like more than the book? The ones that come to my mind are Fight Club & The Watchmen. I'm sure there's more... but it's always such a beautiful experience to have a director use the film medium to milk more out of the source material.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never seen "Fight Club." I know it's a favorite for many. I do think your question is a good one. For me, "Jaws" the movie was SO much better than the original novel, and I also think that "The Wizard of Oz" was a much better movie than it was a book.
I think there's an "in between" category, too, of movies that were very DIFFERENT than the book, but still interesting & good. For me, two quick examples are FOREST GUMP and THE ENGLISH PATIENT. Do you know what I mean? Like, when you don't dislike the movie, and you don't think it degrades the book, but it's just so different?

I haven't read Forrest Gump... but I know the book has stuff like making him an astronaut which is pretty wild haha. I'll have to check out The English Patient (don't accuse me of anything here, but based on your recommendation, I might watch the movie first. I'm a big fan of Ralph Fiennes, & like every other actor in in it haha). I've actually recently bought a compilation of the Wizard of Oz novels. But I totally believe you because I haven't seen the movie (probably more embarrassing than Fight Club) but from it's reputation, it'll probably win haha. Thanks so much for sharing. I actually didn't know Jaws was based on a book. It makes me think of a movie in a similar genre, The Excorcist, which was based on a novel. But, as much as I loved the novel, it might tie with the film on that one. Masterpiece.

But to answer your final question, yeah, I know what it's like when a movie is so different you can watch it & feel... just how separate it is. & enjoy both.

Julie, I fell in love with Penguin Lessons too (the movie).

Diane,
"The Penguin Lessons" is probably the best movie I've watched with my teen daughters in a long time. My middle child and I were bawling (my youngest never cries at movies). I have the book now! I just got it from the library.

Let me know if the book is better.

I will! (Of course it arrived at the same time as Pilcher's COMING HOME, which I'm reading, in addition to poetry, and it's HUGE!)

Julie wrote: "Leif,
I always say that people who don't think they can get into poetry just haven't me their poet yet. Any chance you know this book: Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories"

I do not - I'll take a look. I've tried the usuals: Keats, Whitman, Dickinson, Yeats but none of it clicks for my brain