Sonnets

by Bernadette Mayer

Poetry. Edited by Lee Ann Brown. SONNETS, first published in 1989 as Tender Buttons Number 1, is widely considered to be of the most influential poetic works of contemporary American poetry, expanding on tradition to open new doors of the quotidian and radically innovate technical sophistication. This new, expanded 25th Anniversary edition includes a new preface by Bernadette Mayer, an editor's note by publisher Lee Ann Brown, and a selection of previously unpublished "Skinny Sonnets," hypnogogically written in reporter's notebooks, which further expand the sonnet form and method.

Genres: Poetry

122 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Bernadette Mayer (born May 12, 1945) is an American poet, writer, and visual artist associated with both the Language poets and the New York School. Mayer's record-keeping and use of stream-of-consciousness narrative are two trademarks of her writing, though she is also known for her work with form and mythology. In addition to the influence of her textual-visual art and journal-keeping, Mayer's poetry is widely acknowledged as some of the first to speak accurately and honestly about the experience of motherhood. Mayer edited the journal 0 TO 9 with Vito Acconci, and, until 1983, United Artists books and magazines with Lewis Warsh. Mayer taught at the New School for Social Research, where she earned her degree in 1967, and, during the 1970s, she led a number of workshops at the Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church in New York. From 1980 to 1984, Mayer served as director of the Poetry Project, and her influence in the contemporary avant-garde is felt widely, with writers like Kathy Acker, Charles Bernstein, John Giorno, and Anne Waldman having sat in on her workshops.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a classic collection from one of the New York School (and Language) poets. Mayer messes with syntax and line breaks, forcing you to grapple with language in unfamiliar and, thus, renewing ways. This collection takes the 14 line sonnet as its ostensible formal conceit, but these are not your mother's (or father's) sonnets:
"...Retrograde aspects of low-cop non-election-year/ Participation might mean putting your bracelets/ Guatelmalan on early in the evening to avoid the/ Footsteps of the man you might devour..." and:
"... Even before I saw the chambered nautilus/ I wanted to sail not in the us navy/ Tonight I'm waiting for you, your letter/ At the same time his letter, the view of you/ By him and then by me in the park, no rhymes..." And, from her introduction: "...capitalism is the culprit, never doubt it."

[Caspar "moved to storygraph" Bryant]

bernadette's a big one still alive and hugely important for the experimental movers & shakers I like today which is part of what makes this collection so bizarre it was written in the 80s but would pass so easily as experimental & cutting edge of today. I like to think this is partly BM taking cues from the eternal Gertrude Stein and unpeeling a few layers of the sexual heart there - that Tender Button is a term for the clitoris and devising porno sonnets or discomfort sonnets and so forth I think it resembles required reading for this breathing experimentalism

[Kelsey Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

delicious

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sexiest sonnets ever written

[jane bro · Rating 3 out of 5]

deconstructed sonnets, fragments of thought, revelations on love, remembrances of lust, experimental poems, bread crumbs, the loaf still in the fridge

[hjh]

“My heart is a fancy place” (50)

“All together we wish for others in our beds/ So that in the night we can hold some one of the numbers/ Of like-mothers for all of stupid time” (68)

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

skews twee sometimes, but overall successful--one of the best collections I've read recently

[Bette Noir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!

[Rusty]

About half of these are brilliant. The others--not quite so much. Well worth getting, if you can find it.