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Winter Morning Walks: One Hundred Postcards to Jim Harrison
by
Ted Kooser,
Kooser
Paperback, 120 pages
Published
January 28th 2001
by Carnegie-Mellon University Press
(first published January 2001)
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This idea is so great. I wish I had someone I could send postcard sized poems to. The story behind the morning walks is that the writer was recovering from cancer treatment and because of the medication (I think) he was supposed to stay out of the sun so he walked before sun up. In this there is nice poem after another. One of my favorite poems talks about him walking the gravel road with his flashlight sending a circle fo light before him. He imagines the wild animals watching and wonderin...more
This is perhaps my favorite volume of poetry EVER! Unlike most poetry volumes that I thumb through reading bits and pieces at random, I recommend that if you read this one, you read it start to finish; due to the author's circumstance (cancer) the sequential short poems describe a meaningful arc in the winter landscape through which he walks every morning before dawn. This is not a sad volume, though, nor is it difficult. His images are clear and vibrant, and the poems poignant. More than any...more
During a winter of treatment for cancer which he was unsure whether he would survive, Ted Kooser went for a walk each morning and was inspired to write a poem a day. Each one is filled with the stark but incredible beauty of a winter landscape and his own hopes and fears. He mailed these poems on postcards to his friend and fellow poet Jim Harrison. This is a collection of those poems and I find them to be truly inspiring.
"Cloudy and cold, the moon like a lamp
behind a curtained...more
"Cloudy and cold, the moon like a lamp
behind a curtained...more
Read that 3 as 3 and a half stars.
I thought that this was an excellent "quiet" book of poetry, meditative and calm.
In general, I'm a fan of the postcard style. In particular, I felt that it was well done here. A good narrative cycle is given throughout the course of the volume and the voice of the poet is quite clear while at the same time avoiding the ego prevalent in the last poetry collection that I read.
I thought that this was an excellent "quiet" book of poetry, meditative and calm.
In general, I'm a fan of the postcard style. In particular, I felt that it was well done here. A good narrative cycle is given throughout the course of the volume and the voice of the poet is quite clear while at the same time avoiding the ego prevalent in the last poetry collection that I read.
Lovely series of poems written during a winter of daily pre-dawn walks. Kooser sent each poem on a postcard to a friend. Here's one that I like:
november 18
Cloudy, dark and windy.
Walking by flashlight
at six in the morning,
my circle of light on the gravel
swinging side to side,
coyote, raccoon, field mouse, sparrow,
each watching from darkness
this man with the moon on a leash.
november 18
Cloudy, dark and windy.
Walking by flashlight
at six in the morning,
my circle of light on the gravel
swinging side to side,
coyote, raccoon, field mouse, sparrow,
each watching from darkness
this man with the moon on a leash.
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while recovering from cancer and subsequent radiation treatments, kooser was warned to stay out of the sun. he took walks before dawn and composed 100 poem "postcards" for his friend and fellow author, jim harrison. a beautiful collection of verse and observation. triple love this one!!
Breathtaking. I would open this book and savor a few poems in the early morning and sit stunned, my breath literally taken away. If I could write poetry like this I would be well pleased as a writer. I can only imagine being able to craft images in this way. Highly recommended.
Fabulous, quick reading. I love his voice and word choice. He can interrelate nature and everyday events and experiences with such finesse. Moreover, I like the way he thinks! I'm going to use some of these pieces as mentor texts when I teach poetry writing next spring.
Loved the quiet wonder of early morning walks, here written to his friend. as therapy while recovering from cancer. Poetic postcards!
Fun, laid-back, beautiful short poems that I enjoyed, thanks to Xan's recommendation.
Beautiful observations and meditations. I may have to purchase this one; I don't want to return my library copy! Worth reading and re-reading.
Abby
added it
I really like Kooser's metaphorical observations. Very aesthetic.
Fran
is currently reading it
One to dip into - not to read through ...
these were so amazing, i need to read them again
While recovering from cancer, Ted Kooser took a two-mile walk each morning. The cancer treatment left him photosensitive, so his walks were taken before sunrise. He write a poem after each of his walks. They are short, opening with a brief description of the weather followed by a brief poem. While they don't follow the pattern, the poems have a very haiku-like feel, impressionistic and catching more a feeling than delving deep, except when the poem addresses the cancer. Stirring and beautif...more
http://bookconscious.wordpress.com/2010/...
Possibly my favorite Kooser collection so far.
Possibly my favorite Kooser collection so far.
I love Ted Kooser, and his opening here sure tugged at my heart.
These postcard poems from Ted Kooser to his friend Jim Harrison are truly wonderful. Kooser's poetry is spare, clear, and so wonderful. This book inspired me to write my own postcard poems.
Don't like poetry - betcha you'll like these. Each poem is a miniature nature story. I'd like to own this book and read more by Ted Kooser.
Jess
marked it as to-read
the spring got the better of me - to be read next winter.
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Ted Kooser lives in rural Nebraska with his wife, Kathleen, and three dogs. He is one of America's most noted poets, having served two terms as U. S. Poet Laureate and, during the second term, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his collection, DELIGHTS & SHADOWS. He is a retired life insurance executive who now teaches part-time at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. The school board in L...more
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