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6th out of 23 books
—
11 voters
In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop
by
Steve Kowit,
Dorianne Laux (Goodreads Author)
An illuminating and invaluable guide for beginners wary of modern poetry, as well as for more advanced students who want to sharpen their craft and write poems that expand their technical skills, excite their imaginations, and engage their deepest memories and concerns. Ideal for teachers who have been searching for a way to inspire students with a love for writing--and re...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
June 1st 2003
by Tilbury House Publishers
(first published June 15th 1995)
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One of the few books about writing I frequently and strongly recommend to writers and aspiring writers. When I, a prose writer, met a group of poets who wanted me to join their weekly critique circle, I was a bit intimidated by the fact that I had absolutely no understanding at all of poetry. The closest I'd ever come to poetry was hearing and vaguely appreciating Garrison Keillor's readings on The Writer's Almanac, which I would occasionally catch while running errands in my car, listening to N...more
I cannot live without this book. It is the best for writer's block. I have used this book so often that I've had to tape the cover back on and repair pages. This is one of the books that always goes with me when I evacuate. If you are interested in writing poetry, want to teach your students how to write poetry, need to have some inspiration when the well is dry--this be the book!
excerpt: ""It's true that some poems come quickly and that it's possible to get lucky and write a real one, a good o...more
excerpt: ""It's true that some poems come quickly and that it's possible to get lucky and write a real one, a good o...more
Sep 11, 2009
Melanie Faith
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
other writers, teachers, readers
I have chosen this book for a poetry writing course I will teach next month. I've read it before and used several of the exercises within it to pen my own poems. Steve Kowit uses excellent and insightful poetic examples and his technique comments are down-to-earth and accessible. He has great insight on various elements of the poetry writing process, as demonstrated in chapters like "The Art of Revision" and "Lonely as a Leftover Thumb: Figure and Image" and "Speeding Home in Reverse: The Contro...more
Jul 27, 2009
Ron Mohring
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
beginning poets
Shelves:
in-my-library,
writing-instruction
Though I felt initially enthusiastic about this text and assigned it in a few sections of my creative writing classes, I came to grow disenchanted, specifically with the poems provided as examples: they seemed increasingly two-dimensional and were easily replaced by *better* poems. So I ended up supplementing the assignments with extra poems. Which led me to look elsewhere for a better text. Which of course is an endless process for many of us.
Reader-friendly, yes. Well-organized, yes. Good for...more
Reader-friendly, yes. Well-organized, yes. Good for...more
I have always known that one day I would take this path
though yesterday I did not know it would be today.
— Arriwara no Naribari (Japan, eleventh century) (page vii)
Once in a while, a student confides that he wants to write songs. “How do I get started?” There’s no better place to begin than Steve Kowitt’s illuminating guide, In the Palm of Your Hand. This is a book I turn to again and again, to remember how to shape memory, passion, pleasure, dreams, secrets and sorrows into music. This is a boo...more
though yesterday I did not know it would be today.
— Arriwara no Naribari (Japan, eleventh century) (page vii)
Once in a while, a student confides that he wants to write songs. “How do I get started?” There’s no better place to begin than Steve Kowitt’s illuminating guide, In the Palm of Your Hand. This is a book I turn to again and again, to remember how to shape memory, passion, pleasure, dreams, secrets and sorrows into music. This is a boo...more
This book was assigned reading for me once upon a time in an early college poetry class, so naturally I read very little of it. What I remembered most about it was the assignments at the end of each chapter. Some time back I found myself itching for poetry assignments, since I've been out of school for so long, so I dug this book out. Now that it is no longer required, I found myself enjoying the process of reading through the chapters and working on the assignments. This really is a handy littl...more
There is some good material here, and the author strikes an affable narrative voice, but much of the material feels just a bit facile, and the exercises are (overall) not terribly inspiring. But I did find this somewhat helpful in planning the poetry section of my Intro to Creative Writing class.
This is easily the best textbook I have ever used in any of my classes--creative writing, literature, or composition. Not only was the instruction clear and helpful, but the writing is so accessible that the students looked forward to reading it. Normally, I have trouble getting my students to complete the reading, but that was not the case with this book--they loved reading it. And the assignments are wonderful because they are straightforward and easy to understand and also help the students f...more
I very good text not only of writing poetry but writing in general. I liked the many exercises and poetry theme prompts. Meter and formal structure is difficult for me, so I really enjoyed how he spread it out through five chapters, breaking it down into portions I could understand.
The perfect book if you are a writer in need of prompts. This book has some of the most original prompts and ideas I've ever used, and they are so easy to tweak if you want to mold them to your style or even use them in your own classroom.
Love this book! I was taking Steve Kowit's class while he was writing it and many of the lessons we learned came right from the book. I may be a little biased, however, because I took the author photo that appears on the book! : )
This was one of the texts from a poetry class that I took in college. I the class and enjoyed the book. I have tried a few other poetry writing guides since then, but have liked none so well as this.
I thought the poems included could have certainly extended in variety, but Kowit knows what he is talking about and offers well grounded advice on something that is more objective than subjective.
Really, this is a solid introductory book for the novice poet--though I wish it had more diverse samples, as the author's aesthetic bias weighs the book toward one type of poem.
Seems like a handy guide for neophytes.... not what I was looking for though.... Good selection of example poems and one by Jack Gilbert I hadn't read before.
This is a really good book to get your creativity flowing, it's intended for poets at any level, but I think most writers would enjoy it.
Another of my favorite reference books when I am looking for inspiration or information.
This is a great little handbook if you are a person who likes to write/wants to write poetry.
Designed for would-be poets who want to become have-become poets, PALM OF YOUR HAND can be used by teachers as well, as it takes a soup-to-nuts tour of poetic elements and skills. Some of Kowit's included poetry is kid-friendly, but most seems chosen with adults and college students in mind. Nothing earth-shakingly different about this "Portable Workshop," and I prefer Ted Kooser's "Toolbox" book in a similar vein. But, as always, in search of the perfect teacher/poetry for middle school book. N...more
I was assigned this book for a creative writing class. We didn't get through the whole thing in class because poetry was only covered for a few weeks, but the assigned chapters were definitely helpful. Every chapter has at least one exercise at the end to help improve your poetry skills.
None
While I don't think I'll ever like poetry, this book has gotten me further along to understanding it.
I didn't get very far, because following his excersices took a lot out of me... I wrote some poems that were tought for me to write... was that the point? Some might think so after reading Dorriane Laux's introduction.
But I do think they were helpful and this is a good book for taking prompts from. Probably easily adaptable to fiction and other genres.
I only half-read it because I was already paying heavy late fees on it and had to return it to the library. :(
But I do think they were helpful and this is a good book for taking prompts from. Probably easily adaptable to fiction and other genres.
I only half-read it because I was already paying heavy late fees on it and had to return it to the library. :(
A fantastic, practical, inspiring and throughly knowledgeable book on writing poetry that is accessible to the beginning poet and the fiction writer who understands that a knowledge of poetry is a great way to improve your imagery, economy of language, and your emotional rendering. If you follow the exercises in the book, you'll finish it with a fine collection of poems in draft form that you can hone and craft --probably while reading other books on writing poetry!
This book is certainly the only book of writing "exercises" I've ever deem worth a damn, and to be honest, I was amazed. The ideas are wonderful, and there's something for every occasion or need. Best of all, the "exercises" are designed to be useful more than once--which is what people who write really need. I've gotten some great stuff out of myself because of this book, and I think it has the potential to do the same for everyone.
This is a really great book about writing poetry. It was written by a fellow who writes poetry and teaches others how to write poetry. The book includes writing exercises and lots and lots of examples of great poems.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about writing poetry and wants assignments that lead to the writing of poems.
I wrote several poems I like a lot using this book. It is great!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about writing poetry and wants assignments that lead to the writing of poems.
I wrote several poems I like a lot using this book. It is great!
I find this book inspiring and encouraging. I have given it as a gift to a songwriter and find myself going back to it for inspiration. His thoughts and questions apply to not only writing but sparking ideas for me visually as well.
Great book. Whether you're a poet or a fiction writer looking for good prompts and some exposure to the world of poets. Too bad I have to return it to the library.
This is probably the most reader-friendly of the poetry handbooks I read in preparation for teaching. This will be very helpful to me in my year of teaching--to explain things to students and as a source of great writing exercises.
I'd consider using this as a course text for an introductory class. I would've loved having this as an undergrad.
I'd consider using this as a course text for an introductory class. I would've loved having this as an undergrad.
Just indispensable for anyone teaching writing: although targeted at college-level writers, it can easily be adapted. Also great for those looking to understand a wee-bit more about reading poetry.
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