Jump Soul: New and Selected Poems

by Charlie Smith

A stunning collection from a poet who “writes with a scalding aortal brilliance that leaves the reader drunk on dream” ( New York Times Book Review ). Selecting from among Charlie Smith’s seven previous collections and including more than forty astonishing new poems, Jump Soul represents work from the career of a poet who “writes with a scalding aortal brilliance that leaves the reader drunk on dream” ( New York Times Book Review ). From the lush Southern landscapes of Red Roads (1987) and the haunted longing of Heroin (2000) to the bold eroticism of Women of America (2004) and, most recently, the fresh and exuberant Word Comix (2009), Smith reminds us “that we don’t really know what beauty is until we’ve looked hard at the horror that throws beauty into bright relief” (David Kirby, New York Times ). Beauty in Smith’s poetry is mixed with harrowing darkness; it is “the rescued returned to the floods / and fruit pickers, those who catch beauty / aflight on the sweet-smelling breeze, authentic characters / messed up, dead on the floor / of western motels, crapped out jinxed, lost / to the boulevards.” Smith is a poet of “shimmering energy” (Mary Oliver). His work, brutal in its honesty and stunning in its lyricism, is represented in all of its extraordinary range in this new collection. From “Collected First Lines” I’m sure there is meaning,
and I know it’s sometimes more interesting
to stand in a road than to move along it, though even this, said with such confidence
just a minute ago,
explains nothing.

Genres: Poetry

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 2014

Reviews

[Donald Armfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of Charlie Smith is strong. The new poems section titled "Godzilla Street" are the best of em all.
-Who Knows if that Would Work
-Shakespeare in the Village
-Life of Earth
-Collect First Lines
-Red Cotton★★

A small poem from the Before&After collection "The Miniature City" was a magical piece

From the Heroin and Other Poems collection. Which I thought would be the best, because people on drugs write good poetry.
-Honesty
-Beds★★
-Kicking★★

Jump Soul is a combination of many different styles and recommend to check out.

[Brendon Hertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great collection of poems. Themes ran through the whole collection and also within the individual sections. A few of the poems didn't really grab me, but then a few of the poems really appealed to a sense of how the world operates on a very basic level.

[Tom Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like Charlie Smith.

[Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Every poem was elegant and well done. My trouble was that I would periodically get lost; I'd start a poem and have to read it multiple times to follow it (Reminding me a little of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" in difficulty), but come out loving it all the same. I did have one other issue, which was that Mr. Smith would frequently begin poems with ellipses, which is a little weird, and I could not figure out why. I especially liked a number of the longer poems, including "As for Trees", and think that this collection is one that most poetry fans would enjoy if there are willing to spend the time it takes. This is another good book for people who enjoy poetry that makes them think, both about the themes and about the poems themselves.