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1st out of 11 books
—
3 voters
Actual Air
by
David Berman
David Berman reinvents the overlooked and seemingly ordinary details of everyday life--from the suitcase of a departing girlfriend to a baseboard electrical outlet. His poems chart a course through his own highly original American dreamscape in language that is fresh, accessible, and remarkably precise. This debut collection has received extraordinary acclaim from readers...more
Paperback, 106 pages
Published
February 22nd 2000
by Grove Press, Open City Books
(first published July 1999)
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Reading poetry books by great musicians reminds me of looking at a photographer's contact sheet, seeing all the exciting potentialities here and there before stumbling upon that image of the decisive moment all boxed in by scratchy neon sharpie. Oh, and David Berman is a fucking fantastic musician, his band, Silver Jews serving as a temporary miracle cure for any number of lost, post-college, late-20th-century suburban throwaways dropped somewhere along the fringes of the straight and narrow pat...more
I don't care what aging stigma of indie rock journalism has you paralyzed, as a book of poems Actual Air stands alone.
I read this book of poetry because of a recommendation in the poetry episode of the Bookrageous podcast. It's rare for me to read poetry, though I do often like it.
Many of the poems in the collection are just the sort I enjoy reading. I was surprised that about the same number didn't appeal to me much at all. I'm sure that all of the poems are as well-crafted as the ones I liked most, but I have fairly specific tastes when it comes to poetry.
In general, I prefer poems that present a scene or sma...more
Many of the poems in the collection are just the sort I enjoy reading. I was surprised that about the same number didn't appeal to me much at all. I'm sure that all of the poems are as well-crafted as the ones I liked most, but I have fairly specific tastes when it comes to poetry.
In general, I prefer poems that present a scene or sma...more
in times of crisis i carry around books of poetry the way that some people carry around religious texts, reading and re-reading familiar poems like prayers. this is my crisis-tome of the moment.
there is a beautiful artlessness to david berman's poetry that belies the breadth of his content and vision. "self-portrait at 28" is a work of particular brilliance; each time i read it i am piqued and comforted, loving it anew. this is slim little book packed with vast, surprising greatness.
there is a beautiful artlessness to david berman's poetry that belies the breadth of his content and vision. "self-portrait at 28" is a work of particular brilliance; each time i read it i am piqued and comforted, loving it anew. this is slim little book packed with vast, surprising greatness.
I bought this book at a Silver Jews show, signed by the author. A lot of stars align with this book - Berman gives thanks to Charles Wright, a favorite poet of mine, author of "Black Zodiac" and "The Appalachian Book of the Dead", and UVa professor. There are also hints of John Ashbery's surrealism here, and echoes of Silver Jews lyrics ("a cold black maple hanger"). Berman is a great poet only in the sense that he has an idiosyncratic voice that leads him along to make twisty observations. Berm...more
Joos rule. These poems are like Berman's songs in most ways: some are killers, some are sleepers, some are neither here nor there. The ones that are neither here nor there are flooded by the stop/start fuckbrilliance of the others. Like uncanny, thrift-store oil paintings that reveal their logics when reversed in a mirror. Sometimes Berman so singularly wrangles English into revelation it could give you the goddamn chills.
This is my end all, be all, favorite book of po-eems. I return to it constantly, and find something new to enjoy every time I read it. Berman gives you everything you want out of poetry: quirky imagery, Isaac Asimov, heavy metal fog machines, etc.
The only setback to loving this book so much is that it makes me love other books much less.
The only setback to loving this book so much is that it makes me love other books much less.
Giving a rating for this--or nearly any--collection of poetry would be easier if you could rate individual poems. There were some really good poems here, some not-so-good poems, and some pretty OK poems. But whatever...it's all pretty subjective.
My favorite poem in this collection was also one one of the longest: "Self-Portait at 28". Some sample lines...
Do you remember the way the girls
would call out "love you!"
conveniently leaving out the "I"
as if they didn't want to commit
to their own declar...more
My favorite poem in this collection was also one one of the longest: "Self-Portait at 28". Some sample lines...
Do you remember the way the girls
would call out "love you!"
conveniently leaving out the "I"
as if they didn't want to commit
to their own declar...more
Coming into reading this book having already been an avid fan of Silver Jews, I was kind of scared as to whether my perception of Berman would be altered in a negative way. Maybe reading a book of his bad poetry would make me like his music less, you know? This, luckily, was not the case. Actual Air is a wonderful collection of poetry that fans of the Jews will be able to appreciate just as much as someone with no prior knowledge of Berman's work. I can come back to this book at any time and tak...more
David Berman is the greatest living American poet, even though he only has one collection out (my claim is merited by his work as singer/lyricist of the Silver Jews and his book of cartoons and sketches, The Portable February). I like to imagine David Berman's work as the result of Jack Spicer beating up Robert Frost, or the wry tone of ee cummings to be found in a sturdy, prosey style of Hayden Carruth. There's also the underdog generosity of James Wright poking out of the countrypolitan wisecr...more
Sometimes, I'm not sure what to do with Berman. I'm impressed with the strength of his voice, the surprising nature of what he says. I like watching his poems unfold. Even the short ones have some unraveling to do. Mostly, I like enjoy that this is occasionally difficult poetry situated far away from the ivory towers of academe. Berman investigates the actualities of what's not there and not the philosophical implications of what's missing (this statement makes great sense to me now, but no doub...more
Nov 20, 2007
Tracy O
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People Who Need Inspiration for Song Lyrics
Shelves:
poetry
I read all of the poems in this book with nary a blip on my emotional radar – they are collections of highly ironic and clever (and, sometime pleasingly nostalgic) images, but they didn’t make me think or feel anything. I would recommend this book for flipping backward and forward just to pick some of the images out because they ARE so clever:
From “Snow”
“Walking through a field with my little brother Seth
I pointed to a place where kids had made angels in the snow.
For some reason, I told him that...more
From “Snow”
“Walking through a field with my little brother Seth
I pointed to a place where kids had made angels in the snow.
For some reason, I told him that...more
You might find an interview with Berman somewhere on the web, as I did, in which he states that in assembling Actual Air he collected all his interesting ones and frontloaded the thing with all his best work.
This is pretty much true, except for...you know, some exceptions. There's some reaching for a taste of real greatness in those few beginning poems - stately lines that oscillate between two emotions. Wry, sad, funny.
Berman has a beautiful feel for characters down on their luck, characters yo...more
This is pretty much true, except for...you know, some exceptions. There's some reaching for a taste of real greatness in those few beginning poems - stately lines that oscillate between two emotions. Wry, sad, funny.
Berman has a beautiful feel for characters down on their luck, characters yo...more
Having had the opportunity to witness this amazing poet twice, which is fortunate considering his anti-commerciality, once in his rock band setting and once in a poetry reading, and having also read this collection of poems twice, my enthusiasm concerning David Berman may be a bit untoward, objectively speaking; so let it be known, I may possibly be deceiving myself! However, if one can trust my claims to sobriety, I assuredly must state that David Berman is one of the greatest English poets ali...more
I actually purchased this book on a whim, not really sure of its contents or of who David Berman is; it would be years until I ended up falling in love with his band (Silver Jews), and another couple until I realized his involvement in Pavement.
2011:
This still mesmerizes me; Berman's ability to control poetry is both astounding and haphazard--while sometimes he veers into near-narrative, clean and clear, sometimes it's hard to get a jist of what's going on in the works. Sometimes whole poems cam...more
2011:
This still mesmerizes me; Berman's ability to control poetry is both astounding and haphazard--while sometimes he veers into near-narrative, clean and clear, sometimes it's hard to get a jist of what's going on in the works. Sometimes whole poems cam...more
Trying to choose a favorite all-time book is an exercise somewhat akin (and equally distasteful) to choosing a favorite child. Nevertheless, this is without question, mine. And that's saying something, considering it's a collection of poetry, which I'm prone to avoiding (with a few exceptions).
I've been reading and re-reading Berman's debut poetry collection for just about ten years now, and it never gets old. I'm still finding new angles. I'm still astounded by the number of supposedly well-re...more
I've been reading and re-reading Berman's debut poetry collection for just about ten years now, and it never gets old. I'm still finding new angles. I'm still astounded by the number of supposedly well-re...more
What a great collection. I don't really know anything about poetry, but I liked these. I think Berman is more an observational poet than a liguistic poet, meaning he says stuff that makes you think about the world, sort of like early Modest Mouse maybe, versus stuff that makes you swoon from the beauty of how it's written. My favorite poem was Self Portrait at 28. Intelligent, sometimes funny, overall really good. There were some lines in there that I bookmarked and copied down so I'd remember t...more
Mar 09, 2010
Ben Bush
added it
I'm not that big of a Silver Jews fan but I enjoyed Berman's poetry. Certainly reminds me of James Tate, who blurbs it. As I remember Tate's early work it is similar and worth reading. It doesn't seem like too much of a stretch to draw a parallel to Brautigan as well. Side note: I feel like Brautigan was out of vogue for much of the '00s and now for whatever reason he starts to seem more compatible with the cultural aesthetic.
"and the night we got so high we convinced ourselves
that the road was a hologram projected by the headlight beams."
Better than Jeff Tweedy, Jewel, and Billy Corgan's books of poetry combined.
Good times. very good times. astoundingly inventinve and bizarre. good segue into Simic and Tate. And probably other poets I should read. if you know of these other poets I should read be sure to let me know.
This is on my list of books I should always have at least five copies of on hand so I could shameles...more
that the road was a hologram projected by the headlight beams."
Better than Jeff Tweedy, Jewel, and Billy Corgan's books of poetry combined.
Good times. very good times. astoundingly inventinve and bizarre. good segue into Simic and Tate. And probably other poets I should read. if you know of these other poets I should read be sure to let me know.
This is on my list of books I should always have at least five copies of on hand so I could shameles...more
Since the lyrics for the Silver Jews happen to be my favorite of any groups, it seemed only right that Berman's poetry would hit a similar spot for me. It more than did. Berman never takes himself too seriously in his work, but always unearths something true about people that I'd never thought about. 'Actual Air' is ceaselessly clever, but never pretentious and never trying too hard. It's the sort of casual genius that is the envy of so many posers. For those of you who love poetry, but find you...more
i just re-read this the other day. being a huge fan of Berman and seeing I consider him one of, if not the, most influential voices in my life, my review is probably going to be a bit biased. by giving 5 stars to a book of poetry, you'd probably assume that the entire contents are a-grade. this is obviously not the case. but there are some great poems, poems I could probably quote, were I not writing this on my phone. and it's in those great poems where you get those great lines that do warrant...more
Berman writes poetry for people who have both Twitter accounts and souls. Or maybe, people who tweet worriedly about whether they still have souls, after getting Twitter accounts.
Also, I dare you to read Classic Water and not ache a little for that one friendship you had in high school or early university which was exactly like that.
Also, I dare you to read Classic Water and not ache a little for that one friendship you had in high school or early university which was exactly like that.
This book made me rethink the purpose of poetry. It is clear that Berman uses his poetic voice as a lens through which he looks at the world. His verse is full of unique observations and interesting perspectives on life, and even on seemingly ordinary objects. And as is the case with most good poetry, these poems bear (and encourage) rereading.
I loved several particular poems here (like "Self Portrait at 28"), but what really struck me is what a gift Berman has for completely fantastic individual lines. My favorite line in the book?
"Here, this pill should make you feel like a turtle / tangled up in a dry cleaning bag."
Brilliant.
"Here, this pill should make you feel like a turtle / tangled up in a dry cleaning bag."
Brilliant.
Testament to this book's goodness is the fact that I saw it at Powell's one day and went back the next to get it and this was the last of three copies remaining on the shelves. What poetry book sells more than one copy nationwide in a single day, let alone all three off the same shelf? I want more.
Absolutely wonderful collection of poetry.
Regardless if you like Berman's poetry I think you might agree that he can really write! I don't know how much of his poetry is from personal experiences, but he sure has a creative voice to say the least.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finishing it leaved me depressed because I would really want to read more from him. I will definitely re-read this book a few more times.
Regardless if you like Berman's poetry I think you might agree that he can really write! I don't know how much of his poetry is from personal experiences, but he sure has a creative voice to say the least.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and finishing it leaved me depressed because I would really want to read more from him. I will definitely re-read this book a few more times.
I've been hoping to read this for many years and it lived up to the advance word...even though I could not live up to the role of the ideal reader.
Our world is so cluttered with sound and images that it's often hard to find the space (and brain space) to read and absorb poetry. It's also hard for me to switch reading mode from skimming articles and emails to deep reading. Many of the poems did not fully penetrate this barrier, but there was always a line or two that clicked. (e.g. "It's too nice...more
Our world is so cluttered with sound and images that it's often hard to find the space (and brain space) to read and absorb poetry. It's also hard for me to switch reading mode from skimming articles and emails to deep reading. Many of the poems did not fully penetrate this barrier, but there was always a line or two that clicked. (e.g. "It's too nice...more
Wish he'd publish another collection, but at least I'll have another few readings of this one before I can even say that I've tentatively digested it. Thanks much to B & L for the loan. Now I need to buy it for myself.
The urban pastoralist. Unafraid of history, on good terms with the present. My favourite poem ends with a dog responding loyally to the narrator's calling voice. I like Berman's poems, songs (lyrics, mostly), even his interviews - transcripts of which read like poems or songs, funnily enough. Read this, his sole collection of poetry. There's no pretense, no wet-handed wankery, just good old-fashioned insight through ink and verse - and yeah, he's modern (McModern! McModern!), so you don't have t...more
This is by the lead singer of The Silver Jews. Unlike some other rock stars who have published poetry, David Berman actually writes as well as he rocks.
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David Berman was born in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1967. He graduated from the Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, the University of Virginia, and the University of Massachusetts. His band, the Silver Jews, has released four albums, The Natural Bridge, Starlite Walker, Ameri...more
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David Berman was born in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1967. He graduated from the Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, the University of Virginia, and the University of Massachusetts. His band, the Silver Jews, has released four albums, The Natural Bridge, Starlite Walker, Ameri...more
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“...and my signature is drawn in magic marker
on the lower right hand corner of the window
so when something passes in the dark
it's captured for a moment inside my work.”
—
4 people liked it
More quotes…
on the lower right hand corner of the window
so when something passes in the dark
it's captured for a moment inside my work.”
Albemarle Station:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-OcfK...
Horseleg Swastikas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua9Oay...
We Ar...more
updated Nov 17, 2012 04:05am
Nov 18, 2012 04:43pm