reviews
Jan 17, 2011
Richard
rated it: 
I've been reading and writing poetry for a long time, and the more I write, the more I wonder about the "rules." I wonder why the writers spend so much time rearranging prose into poetry. I wonder about line breaks, and rhythm, compression, and all the rest. I wonder about the old coots in colleges who haven't read a poem of value since the 1950's, or before. Then I start writing and quit wondering because I know what I'm after. Or I start reading, and try to be patient enough to find
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Aug 11, 2010
Brenda
rated it:
The speaker(s) of these poems sets to tellin' a joke, or else a tall tale,
but each anecdote slants
as if corn-cob pipe deflected
tellin'.
Whether he's on about a high strung woman
caught by her apron strings
in a wringer washer,
or a man requestin' to be buried "nekkid"
in the undertaker's box,
or else a girl settlin' into tire swing
after Sunday sermon only to find
said swing occupied, her brother,
More...
but each anecdote slants
as if corn-cob pipe deflected
tellin'.
Whether he's on about a high strung woman
caught by her apron strings
in a wringer washer,
or a man requestin' to be buried "nekkid"
in the undertaker's box,
or else a girl settlin' into tire swing
after Sunday sermon only to find
said swing occupied, her brother,
More...
Jan 30, 2010
Newengland
rated it: 
My Old Kentucky home goes poetica as Maurice Manning revisits the tall tales of his youth in a series of unrhymed tetrameter poems celebrating a place, a time, and some very interesting folks. If you like Southern literature and vernacular in your tea, look it up!
Nov 05, 2011
Dave
rated it:
Standouts: "Thunderbolt, My Foot," "A Wringer Washer On The Porch," "For The Last Time, No, I'm Not The Rabbit Man," "Oh, She's Warm!"
May 16, 2011
Aimee
rated it: 
Manning captures the dialogue of a particular breed of Southern storyteller in these beautiful stories masquerading as poetry.
Jan 09, 2011
Oolon
rated it:
Given that it's January 8th and it's nearly 70 degrees here in sunny Florida, I can't believe I'm saying this. Reading this makes me miss Kentucky. Thanks, Maurice, for fond visions of home.
Sep 19, 2011
Michael
rated it:
I'll keep reading whatever Maurice Manning keeps writing; I think he's on to something in a really clever and important way.
Dec 28, 2011
Booker
rated it:
A great collection blending folklore, dialect and yet complicated word choice and ideas into a fine collection. These beg to be read aloud to cause friends and loved ones to laugh, to cry, or to reflect.
Oct 18, 2011
Carrie
rated it:
This book is perfect to read out loud from the backseat to your mom and sister in the front seat on a road trip to Indiana. For real.
Jan 28, 2012
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Oct 23, 2011
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Aug 25, 2011
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May 09, 2011
