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Broadway for Paul: Poems
Friendship, love, and the potential energy of change animate these poems of walking through New York City.
"I love the vibrant cinematic hunger of this book, its urbanity, yours and mine too.” —Eileen Myles
Broadway, the famous artery, both off the grid and definitive of Manhattan as it cuts its way downtown, is a metaphor for Katz's path through these poems.
From Lincoln Plaza on the Upper West Side to the African Burial Ground and the courthouses downtown, Katz mines his native city for the deep humanity that undergirds its streets. His title, with its implication that one could give something as large and undefinable as Broadway to a single person, courts an impossibility that generates the possibility of friendship, as well as the largesse Katz wants to find in our civic discourse. In poems such as "Ivanka Skirting" and "This Beautiful Bubble" we encounter his reckoning with a divisive culture that can, he suggests, be healed through our daily acts--through a kind of alert graciousness that also defines his poetry.
In this moving collection, we enter Katz's world, both public and private, and experience poetry as a way of seeing that can change hearts and minds.
"I love the vibrant cinematic hunger of this book, its urbanity, yours and mine too.” —Eileen Myles
Broadway, the famous artery, both off the grid and definitive of Manhattan as it cuts its way downtown, is a metaphor for Katz's path through these poems.
From Lincoln Plaza on the Upper West Side to the African Burial Ground and the courthouses downtown, Katz mines his native city for the deep humanity that undergirds its streets. His title, with its implication that one could give something as large and undefinable as Broadway to a single person, courts an impossibility that generates the possibility of friendship, as well as the largesse Katz wants to find in our civic discourse. In poems such as "Ivanka Skirting" and "This Beautiful Bubble" we encounter his reckoning with a divisive culture that can, he suggests, be healed through our daily acts--through a kind of alert graciousness that also defines his poetry.
In this moving collection, we enter Katz's world, both public and private, and experience poetry as a way of seeing that can change hearts and minds.
- GenresPoetry
144 pages, Paperback
Published July 12, 2022
About the author
Vincent Katz
78 books13 followersVincent Katz is a poet, translator, art critic, editor, and curator.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 31, 2022
I am so thankful to both Vincent Katz and Knopf for sending me this wonderful collection of poems and statement pieces that both so wonderfully depict the narratives that we, as humans, convey through every waking breath. Themes of diverse urbanism arise in the poet's breakdown of cultural insensitivities, friendships cherished and broken, and the overall colors of living and loving life.
This collection of poems is out to the public now and I highly recommend picking up a copy to both enlighten your palette and take a deeper breath.
This collection of poems is out to the public now and I highly recommend picking up a copy to both enlighten your palette and take a deeper breath.
May 4, 2020
I received a free digital copy of this book through a giveaway hosted on GoodReads.
Through a combination of poetry and prose, Vincent Katz Broadway for Paul gives a detailed description of the poet's life, bit in New York and beyond. The subject matter covers the physical qualities of Katz surroundings, his relationships and loss thereof with his professional and person friends, and life as a husband and father leading up to his son's departure for college.
This is not a book for everyone. Even the poems are often written in a prose-like style, nearly all of them in a non-rhyming free-verse, and quite a few containing long lines that make the lines between what is and isn't meant to be verse blur. Many are also written in an observational style, which creates vivid images of his surroundings when successful, but reading more like a list of things he sees without much connection or purpose when they are not. Although I liked quite a few of the poems in this collection, even I found myself tempted to skip a few, as I felt they were not going anywhere, but I persevered in order to better give them a fair chance, in case they became more cohesive over time.
Of course, that is not to say it is horrible, either. There are also many excellent poems in the collection, full of emotion and meaning, and it becomes easier to tell at a glace which will be which as you read deeper into the book, especially given the (in my opinion) sub-par pieces being primarily in the first third of the file. And who knows, perhaps others will see the poems I didn't enjoy as much and see something I missed, rocketing their own opinion of them to prime poetry. My final feelings are that, if you enjoy poetry and are looking for something different, then it is worth a shot, and no harm done if it's not your cup of tea. It is definitely not for someone who is not already a fan of the form, though, so if you are looking for something to help you study or create and appreciation for verse, rather than just something to pass time, then this collection may be better left of the shelf.
Through a combination of poetry and prose, Vincent Katz Broadway for Paul gives a detailed description of the poet's life, bit in New York and beyond. The subject matter covers the physical qualities of Katz surroundings, his relationships and loss thereof with his professional and person friends, and life as a husband and father leading up to his son's departure for college.
This is not a book for everyone. Even the poems are often written in a prose-like style, nearly all of them in a non-rhyming free-verse, and quite a few containing long lines that make the lines between what is and isn't meant to be verse blur. Many are also written in an observational style, which creates vivid images of his surroundings when successful, but reading more like a list of things he sees without much connection or purpose when they are not. Although I liked quite a few of the poems in this collection, even I found myself tempted to skip a few, as I felt they were not going anywhere, but I persevered in order to better give them a fair chance, in case they became more cohesive over time.
Of course, that is not to say it is horrible, either. There are also many excellent poems in the collection, full of emotion and meaning, and it becomes easier to tell at a glace which will be which as you read deeper into the book, especially given the (in my opinion) sub-par pieces being primarily in the first third of the file. And who knows, perhaps others will see the poems I didn't enjoy as much and see something I missed, rocketing their own opinion of them to prime poetry. My final feelings are that, if you enjoy poetry and are looking for something different, then it is worth a shot, and no harm done if it's not your cup of tea. It is definitely not for someone who is not already a fan of the form, though, so if you are looking for something to help you study or create and appreciation for verse, rather than just something to pass time, then this collection may be better left of the shelf.
April 25, 2020
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Goodreads for a free Kindle copy of this book.
I truly appreciated the concept behind this book. Seeing the world through the eyes of another is not only intriguing, but rare. These poems could also be considered as daily memoirs from the author. Each poem is dated, going back to 2017, and seems to be random thoughts and observations as seen by the author.
The book not only spans New York City, but also a couple vacations the author took such as, Chicago and Virginia.
A couple poems resonated with me, but most of them did not. Some of the poems didn't make any sense to me, but that's okay. Poetry is like that sometimes. The author is obviously observant and a professional people watcher. These poems could very well resonate with another.
I truly appreciated the concept behind this book. Seeing the world through the eyes of another is not only intriguing, but rare. These poems could also be considered as daily memoirs from the author. Each poem is dated, going back to 2017, and seems to be random thoughts and observations as seen by the author.
The book not only spans New York City, but also a couple vacations the author took such as, Chicago and Virginia.
A couple poems resonated with me, but most of them did not. Some of the poems didn't make any sense to me, but that's okay. Poetry is like that sometimes. The author is obviously observant and a professional people watcher. These poems could very well resonate with another.
January 8, 2023
I've been really itching to read more poetry, but this just wasn't up my alley. I love, love, love New York - it's my second home, so I was excited to read a poetry collection that really highlighted New York as a place and character. However, this collection felt like someone was just reading a list of things they saw in New York one day - almost the equivalent of a tour. Unfortunately, it felt rather ordinary rather than the specialness that I feel New York deserves.
August 10, 2022
Beautiful. I took my time and read each of these and let the gorgeousness wash over me. I could feel the city and the friendships and angst and complex emotions on every page. Thanks to Alfred A Knopf for sending me a copy. What a gift.
May 25, 2020
The poems were ok. They kind of all blended together for me, none of them really stood out to me. Although I could understand them.
July 30, 2022
1.5
I just didn’t like it. Review to follow
Thank you to Knopf for the gifted copy
I just didn’t like it. Review to follow
Thank you to Knopf for the gifted copy
December 8, 2022
"Flatiron memory I flee
Must stick my face in New
I didn’t know that buildings visible
Down Fifth a new view"
Must stick my face in New
I didn’t know that buildings visible
Down Fifth a new view"
April 22, 2020
Dear author, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I did feel this book but it was not my cup of tea.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews