Octavio Paz has since passed through this world leaving behind a beautiful web of words with the tapestry of things seen and unseen. Paz does an ambidextrous job of mixing in elements of surrealism with the bone of natural objects and that which is very real. His, and the translator Eliot Weinberger ... along with the help of other poet translators to include Bishop, Levertov, Tomlinson--all of their words come alive with beautiful language. The translation seems true to the intent.

What is essential about this book is that each poem comes with the bilingual translation in English and accompanied by the original works in Spanish. Two years of high school Spanish, as well as two years in college, has rendered me with a woefully inadequate ineptitude of all words and understanding of that language. But I don't think that the translation can ever capture the sound, the alliteration, the true tongue/la lingua and fluid language that Paz meant in his original Spanish. Even if I don't understand a lick of what's on the left side of the page in Spanish at least it can be read for it's beautiful sound. Listen to this, "Through the conduits of bone I night I water I forest that moves forward I tongue I body I sun-bone Through the conduits of night" and then on the even-numbered page, "Por el arcaduz de hueso yo noche yo agua yo bosque que avanza yo lengua yo cuerpo yo hueso de sol Por el arcaduz de noche."

What are you doing still sitting here reading my crappy writing when you could be reading Ocatavio Paz? Go get the book...you'll see.

Example 1: "Un cuerpo, un cuerpo solo, sólo un cuerpo,/un cuerpo como día derramado/y noche devorada". Example 2: "Lates entre la sombra/blanca y desnuda: río." Octavio Paz is one of the first voices of the xxth century mexican poetry. He is the most important blend between clasicism and the modern trends in poetical expresion. He lived in France and thus, he experienced surrealism and mingled with the likes of Breton, Éluard, et al. In México he estimulated the literary critic and reviews to new standars of excelence. Read O. Paz.

Paz' poetry is sublime, and elegant. The words and ideas simply slip off the page. Its like taking a bath in chocolate.

Paz consistently suprises the reader with new ideas, form, language. Paz creates an atmosphere that is soothing, and enchanting. I would highly recommend this work.

Not only does this book (edited by no less an authority on poetry and Brazil than Elizabeth Bishop) contain poems by such greats as Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Vinícius de Moraes, João Cabral de Melo Neto and Manuel Bandeira-- but it has on the facing page translations by such respected greats as James Merill, W.S. Merwin, Mark Strand and Bishop.

The selections are neither too much nor too little. If, like me, you are learning Portuguese, the originals can be studied easily. The quality of the English translations is exceptionally high, many of them great poems in their own right. I credit Bishop and her co-editor Emanuel Brasil, whose introduction is brief and effectively sets the scene.

In Brazil, poetry is widely respected and read. The poets in this anthology are part of the generation that has broken away from the more rigid forms and themes of Portuguese and continental poetry. Poets like Vinícius de Moraes deserve to be known for more than writing the lyrics to "Girl from Ipanema" (he needed the money). This is their due. This anthology has introduced me to several poets I now plan to explore in greater depth.

Brazil is famous for its gems. It is clear this literary gem comes from a very rich mine.

This collection is an absolute classic and is particularly recommended to anyone learning Portuguese. How often are readers of English able to see both the original text and brilliant translated verse? And the selections are magnificent, from Oswald de Andrade to Vinicius de Moraes and Carlos Drummond de Andrade, many of the poets most influential both in literary circles and on the Brazilian songwriters who seem to be more and more prominent on the world stage. Also worth noting are the spectacular poets credited as translators: Elizabeth Bishop, James Merrill, W.S. Merwin, Richard Wilbur...

The poems are broadly chosen, from playful to mournful. Many are unforgettable. Highest recommendation I can give is that it influenced my decision to learn Portuguese.

Camille Roman's ELIZABETH BISHOP'S WORLD WAR II - COLD WAR VIEW opens up intriguing new ways to understand this great poet.

Taking a cultural studies approach, Roman shines a bright light on Bishop's life and poems. She argues that Bishop was alienated from aspects of mainstream American culture--its militarism and social injustices. She shows that Bishop was a far more politically-engaged poet than one might think. The interpretation of such poems as "Roosters," "View of the Capitol from the Library of Congress," and "12 O'Clock News" are eye-opening and thought-provoking.

This is now an essential book for anyone interested in the ways Elizabeth Bishop's poems intersect with American cultural and political history.

This is an in-depth and insightful chronicling of Elizabeth Bishop's life and work during the "war years" and immediately following. Particularly interesting to me were portions of letters quoted and particulars regarding situations which were current at the time. Further, I am most pleased to see some recognition of a woman as a serious contender in the field of contemporary American literature. We should, as well, consider that the author of this work is a woman writing about a woman.

In this amazing collection of Elizabeth Bishop's selected letters, all of the various nuances of her most personal voice --warm, intimate, keenly observant, whimsical and humorous, generous, shy, gutwrenchingly honest, decorous and demure -- come through with astonishing human clarity. Bishop's engaging and elegant epistolary style makes reading One Art almost like reading an epistolary novel. The collection certainly functions as a fascinatingly candid biography of the somewhat shy and elusive Bishop, and also provides marvelous glimpses of both her writing processes, and the contextual background against which many of her poems emerged. Mostly, though, I found myself liking Elizabeth Bishop to excess . . . her humor, her eye for detail, her weirdly shy and modest charisma, even her flaws . . . and wishing that I could have been one of her inner circle of friends receiving these wonderful letters.

These letters provide a fascinating insight into the poet, who was as compelling in prose as in poetry. I love Bishop's work, and I am enjoying this book!

Rare and Commonplace Flowers innovates in the scholarly field. A carefully documented biography, it reconstructs step by step the story of Elizabeth Bishop and Lota de Macedo Soares.Carmen Oliveira's literary achievement lies in conveying this research of undeniable academid value in a very agreeable piece of storytelling.A must for Women's Studies, the book is recommended to anyone who enjoys a good read.

This book is a treasure, a delightful read. It speaks to a broad range of interests. Fans of Elizabeth Bishop will enjoy learning about her relationship with Lota and her experiences during the 17 years she lived in Brazil. If you are interested in Brazilian history and politics, you will find a rare account of the early sixties in Rio de Janeiro, as the country headed toward military dictatorship. It is also a marvelous and tragic love story.

As an American living in Brazil for the past 20 years, I found it a fascinating account of how Lota and her country provided a haven for Bishop, an orphan prone to writer's block and alcoholism. Rare and Commonplace Flowers, read in addition to Bishop's letters, opens a whole new window on her writing. Ever since I read the original in Portuguese, in 1995, I have been convinced that it merits the attention of non-Portuguese speakers. Thanks to the excellent translation of Neil Besner, you've got it!

As in all of the writings by Elizabeth Bishop, The Collected Prose allows the reader to open the door into her masterfully brilliant and private world of thoughts. I took this book to the beach each night before the sun went down and read one or two of her poems ... Bishop's ability to connect our everyday actions with a deeper, higher meaning makes this book one of my all time favorites. She is truly a wonderful creator and writer!

AS the editor of this book, I'd like readers to know that it not only includes major essays by leading American critics like Helen Vendler, Robert Pinsky, and David Lehman, but that it also contains previously uncollected material by Bishop herself, work not available in any other book. This was a landmark book on Bishop and remains the most thorough collection of material on her work: critical essays, reviews, and even poetry about her (by James Merrill and Robert Lowell).

The Battle for the Castle was an awesome book. I thought it was one of the best books I ever read. I liked it because I love to be in suspense and this book had lots of suspense. I also liked it because it was easy to follow and to understand. If you liked The Castle in the Attic you'll love The battle for the Castle. Thats what I thought about The Battle for the Castle.

I am in third grade. My teacher read my class this book and the one before it to. Every time when my teacher would stop reading the whole class would beg her to read more. the author does a great job of stoping the chapter right at the really exciting parts.I LOVED it!!!!!!!!! Normally I don't like books about castles but this one I really liked!

this adventure book is a wonderful read for everyone! i read it when i was a young teenager, and fell in love wih it! now i have read it again and still enjoy it. the sequal to the castle in the attic, this book was filled with more adventure and suspense. recomended for anyone that enjoys fantasy and adventure!

"Eight American Poets," edited by Joel Conarroe, is a fine anthology. The introduction notes that this book was "designed as a companion volume to 'Six American Poets,'" also edited by Conarroe. "Eight" follows the same plan as "Six": rather than anthologize a huge company of poets who are represented by only a few pieces each, each of Conarroe's books focuses on a relatively small group of poets, each of whom is represented by a substantial selection. Conarroe's approach allows the reader to get a fuller feel of each poet in the anthology format.

The poets of "Eight" are Theodore Roethke, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Lowell, John Berryman, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Allen Ginsburg, and James Merrill. Each poet's work is prefaced by a substantial individual introduction.

There are many masterpieces in this book. Curiously, I found the most compelling poems to be those that focus on nature: Roethke's "The Meadow Mouse," Bishop's "The Fish," Plath's "Mushrooms," and Merrill's "The Octopus." Poems like these combine skillfully used language with keen insight, and reveal these poets to be true heirs of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson (two of the featured artists in "Six American Poets").

Overall, I felt that "Eight" was not as strong as its sister volume, "Six." Although there are many poetic masterpieces in "Eight," there is also much material which, in my opinion, hasn't aged well. The so-called "confessional poetry" of some of these writers strikes me as overwrought. Some of the longer poems failed to resonate with me. I was particularly disappointed by Berryman's "Homage to Mistress Bradstreet," especially since I am an admirer of Anne Bradtreet's own work. Admittedly, this criticism may merely reflect my own personal tastes, but I submit it for the reader's consideration.

The fact that so many of these poets either wrote about each other, or pop up in the editor's introductions to each others' work, sometimes gives the book as a whole a creepy, incestuous feel. And the fact that so many of these poets committed suicide, had long-term mental health problems, and/or suffered from addictions further gives the book as a whole a rather morbid feel. On second thought, maybe this group of eight is a bit problematic!

Still, editor Conarroe has assembled an impressive anthology that I would recommend for students and teachers, as well as to a general readership. Although a mixed bag, "Eight American Poets" contains some truly enduring work by an octet whose legacy is secure.

.........the best known and loved poetry of eight well-known twentieth century American poets. Includes well known poems such as Bishop's "The Fish", Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz", Berryman's "Dream Songs", Merrill's "Lost in Translation", Sexton's "Ringing the Bells", and many others.

Like Conarroe's "Six American Poets", the anthology introduces us to each poet with a short biography that is presented before the poet's work. We learn about their lives and come to understand some of the primary forces that have shaped their poetry. I have found that this greatly enriches the experience of reading poetry because I better see the struggles that lead to each individual creation. After each collection, Conarroe offers a list of books and anthologies where each poet has been published so that we, should we wish, can come to know the work of a given poet much better.

This anthology is a wonderful starting place for someone who, like me, desires an introduction to some of the greatest American poetry ever produced. Personally, I feel, after reading this anthology that I have come to truly appreciate the work of Elizabeth Bishop and Theodore Roethke, in particular. I had never known their work well, but suddenly each jumped off the page at me, Bishop for her wonderfully vivid descriptions and Roethke for his intensely moving subjects. Plath and Sexton also really spoke to me, their work so reflecting their lives. Overall, this anthology is superbly worthwhile reading!

Ah, a fine comparison and contrast in studies on the eight best American confessional poets ever. Kudos to the editor on a fine choice of poems, and candid biographies on each poet. Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Allen Ginsberg, John Berryman, Theodore Roethke, Elizabeth Bishop and the other guy, here's to you.

I did not use this book while teaching my child to read. This book requires the child and the teacher to learn a complex system of notation. More than just learning the different sounds letters can make together, this book requires you to number, actually write out and memorize a number, for each letter than can be sounded out in more than one way. So the words you learn to write, spell, and read are diagramed with numbers. It's very complex. I would not even attempt to teach my child using this system. It seems very frustrating. This program also requires the child to be able to write everything that is to be read. My child is beginning to read well and enjoys practicing writing, but he is not required to write the word before he can progress in his reading. I recommend instead Phonics Pathways by Dolores Hiskes and the excellent starter books by Nora Gaydos in the Now I'm Reading series.

We have tried several reading programs, but this is by far the best. Your child will learn handwriting, phonics, spelling, and most of all, reading! After just a few months of using the program my children's reading took off. My first grader can read on a fourth grade level, and my third grader can read on a sixth grade level. Do not confuse this all new book with its predecessor (4th edition). This book is twice the size of the old version and includes step by step instructions for implementing the program as intended by its creator, Romalda Spalding. You can't beat the price either. Other guide books exist to use with the WRTR, but it would be a waste of your money to purchase them. Stick with the original and best! I can't say enough good things about this program. If you're looking for an effective and lasting program to teach your children to read (and spell and write), do yourself a favor and purchase The Writing Road to Reading.

I strongly recommend the Writing Road to Reading (5th edition). It is a godsend for anyone helping a non reader of any age. It is a tremendous asset to home schooling parents. The Writing Road to Reading is a total Language Arts program. The 5th edition has simple instructions for implemetation. There isn't another Language Arts program on the market which is as comprehensive. The Writing Road to Reading begins with the fundamentals of handwriting and phonics and proceeds through spelling, grammar, reading and comprehension. It is modestly priced. The simple paper back book will serve generations. For those who want to understand the reasoning behind the instruction, there is great chapter on current research (Chapter 4-Theoretical Foundations).