Paul Christensen's Blue Alleys highlights every aspect of humanity, from adolescents to death, which resonates a universal perceptiveness with clarity that lacks sentimentality. On the other hand, Christensen never looses sight of the personal journey to clarity by invoking locations of spatial identity that breathes life into still bones with terse images. The delicate balance between the universal and the personal conjures up the two words of the title itself that echo throughout these prose poems, in which life itself is communally separate. These shared spaces, as the alleys themselves are locus between abodes or people, skips the surface facades to delve into uncharted interior depths of the narrow pathways that leads to backdoors littered with all that we hide. Among the wonderful thirty-nine poems that embraces lost loves and missed communions with nature, I've chosen "Pencils," "The Way," "The Unexpected Caller" and "Prairies" to discuss here as personal favorites. Whereas in "Pencils," the memories of a grandfather's life of wonder exists because of his drawing capabilities of ammunition shells that led him to France during WWI, but at the same time, these pencils exude his love to his family and continue to tell his story long after his death in the hands of his grandson. In "The Way," the ever-impending death becomes a seemly simple street scene while stopped for a red traffic light. The narrator, removed by the interior of the car waits to move forward in life, watches a man beaten by others as a reminder of the fragility of Darwinian nature. The poem's power lies not only in the brutal scene but also in the narrator's commissary with the downtrodden man as providing uplifting braveness to the final moments of life, death, which allows the narrator to continue with life less fearful. The strength of the "The Unexpected Caller" comes from the connection between the second person narrator's imagination of who the caller might be and the body gestures of the caller's embarrassment for bothering the narrator, leaving the reader with the normality of an unresolved loneliness. In "Prairies," Christensen again invokes a second person narrator who fails to understand the essence of beauty in the stark prairie landscape. The meditative countenance between nature and humanity shows the connective loss as being a gulf unbridgeable now, yet Christensen's language becomes a stopgap itself that leads the reader into the supposed wasteland with senses unsheathed. Paul Christensen's Blue Alleys is a tightly knit poetic oeuvre that dazzles the senses with chiseled images set upon a pedestal of human nature commonality.

at turns painful and reassuring but always powerful, Daoust's poems are always alertly written. The book's namesake is a poem about the thorny love between the poet at 6 years and a 20-year old, but this potentially repulsive subject is so hypnotically worded as to cause addiction. Several pieces stick out in my mind, like "A New York Prayer", a needy plea for material boon, and "The Sleeping Angel", lush balm for the ear of desire. Buy it - a bewitching compendium of a seductively malign poet's work.

For many years, I have used the Blue Guides. They consistently provide the most in-depth information particularly regarding any aspect of the arts.They are also amazingly thorough. On a recent trip to Bologna, Italy, others in the choir I was touring with were at a loss as to what to do because their pretty guides with all the pictures and 3d floor plans (guess which), only had 3 pages for the city. My blue guide had 11 pages...in small print telling me of fascinating doorways to poke my head through to see a magnificent courtyard, etc.
I have borrowed the Blue Guide to Yugoslavia from my local library because, as it is out of print, I am having difficulty finding one to buy. Predictably, having been buried in it for one week now, I am fretting that the 3 weeks I have planned for Croatia next summer will not be enough.
Practical information is at a minimum in the guides but there are lots of other sources for this sort of thing.
For detailed, thorough information, the Blue Guides are the only way to go!

Blueberry Peaches, And Red Robin Pie is a wonderful cookbook for lovers of the foods and fruits of the Mississippi Delta. A believer in using fine, fresh ingredients, cook Stella presents her luscious no-nonsense recipes for salads, chowders, soups, of course seafood, meats, poultry, and side dishes such as Dolce Acorn Squash. Stella does not believe in substitutions or skimping on ingredients. Pasta dishes are also included, such as mouth- watering recipes for oysters and brie with pasta and shrimp and mushrooms with pasta. Breakfast dishes include recipes for Eggs Benedict A La Stella (with asparagus and ham) and a marvelous Spinach Omelet, delicious for either breakfast or supper. Casual eating experiences include recipes for sandwiches, drinks and desserts. One of the best parts of Blueberry, Peaches, And Red Robin Pie is the little essays and anecdotes between chapters written by both Paul and Stella. Also little helpful "frog" hints help the cook to do her best. Just reading the list of fish and shellfish recipes is enough to tempt anyone: Fried Soft Shell Crabs, Blackened "Any Fish", Crabmeat Quiche (good hot or cold), and Fresh Tuna Steak in A Garden (served with lettuce, tomato, green pepper, cucumber, sweet onion and Balsamic vinegar). Blueberry Peaches, And Red Robin Pie is all about real food, real enjoyment, and real living. It is an altogether delightful cookbook. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Any marketing person who has not read this book has almost certainly wasted their time and money reading all the others. It's funny, witty, and true. And even if you don't agree, it makes a wonderful gift to your boss, who won't know whether to be grateful or insulted

I read this book a few years ago, when I was starting to get really into Dylan's music, and by the time I finished the book, I had an even deeper appreciation for his music. Williams is better than anyone at describing and conveying Dylan's genius. Almost overflowing with enthusiasm, Williams reviews Dylan's earliest, most celebrated albums and concerts with an emphasis on Dylan's unique delivery of the material, rather than foculsing on his simply his words or politics, as many less perceptive writers tend to do. Reading the book makes you see Dylan not as the "voice of a generation" but more simply and accurately as the generation's most visionary artist and performer.

The second volume of "Bob Dylan, Performing Artist" covers the less understood, less appreciated, but often more rewarding second part of Dylan's career. Williams convincingly argues that much of Dylan's finest work came during this period, and his writing may have you digging out your old copy of "Shot of Love" or "Empire Burlesque" (or your bootleg tapes of those 1979-80 "born again" shows) to hear what he's talking about.

This being his follow up book to "Death in Uptown." Raleigh doesn't fail to disappoint his fans. The story moves along very well. As your read the book you can picture everything in your mind perfectly as he describes the worlds and characters in the book very well.
I would definitely recommend this book if you've read "Death in Uptown"

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Body Power". The author doesn't bury his reader in technical terms and jargon. The subject matter is broken down and presented in a clear concise manner laced with humor. This book is a must to start your fitness program.