Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins once told an audience that the study of literature, especially of poetry, is the study of death. Whatever a poem’s apparent subject—love, trees, soup—it’s the certainty of loss that powers the tensions holding a poem together. South Carolina Poetry Initiative prize winner, Worthy Evans, feels this loss in his debut poetry collection, Green Revolver, which examines work, family, war, and social contracts. Among the lively play of metaphors, alternative personas, More...

As I look back at the notes I took while reading Worthy Evans' prize winning poetry question, the one word that keeps popping up is Voice.

Now, if you write at all (or have taken a writing class) you've probably been admonished to find your voice which - as I recall - felt extremely puzzling. Of course I have a voice? I'm writing, aren't I? But, Worthy's poetry collection really stands out for its distinctive voice. SO, perhaps the best way to teach someone about what voice is is to s More...

I reviewed this for the Summer 2010 issue of The Main Street Rag. Loved it!