As a writter this book opens up many diffrent forms of writting styles to experiment with. This is my favortie poetry book and it is filled with poems for what ever mood you may be in. Anyone that loves poetry or loves to read should own a copy of this book.

A deeply informative and devoted anthology, containing some of the best poetry written in America. The detailed author biographies and extensive sections on poetics are a delight, such a rarity! The rich and powerful voices of postmodern American poets -- be they from any cultural background -- can be found here. An anthology that has become my inspiration in many ways -- to read it is to feel inspired to write, as well. Paul Hoover's selection is impeccable, and uplifting.

To date the best anthology I have on the subject.

For anyone interested in postmodern poetry or for those who want to learn what postmodern poetry is, this is the anthology to have. It's loaded with some of the best poets: the gifted Robert Duncan, Ferlinghettis (one of the best of the beat poets), Bukowski (my first intro to him, and not a dissapointment), Levertov, Kenneth Koch (not his best poems, but still a good selection), the wonderful poetry of Frank O'Hara, Ginsberg, Robert Creely (and excellent selection), a selection from Ashbery so huge that i almost forgot i wasn't reading one of his books, the awesome Gary Snyder, Rothernberg's "Cokboy", Dave Trinidad, Paul Hoover, Wanda Coleman, Charles Olson, Kerouac, Philip Whalen, Corso, Amiri Baraka, Diane di Prima, Anne Waldman, and many others, including a very strong Chicago appearance towards the end.

The anthology starts with an essay by Hoover, which helps to clear up many questions about what postmodern poetry is and what many of the schools are. He concludes the anthology with a selection of essays on poetry.

Ever wondered how your life would have turned out - if only... This is a story that will make you realise how our lives are a web of coincidences - or maybe it's faith? It's also a journey in time and space, set in beautiful surrondings in both in Sweden and New Zealand. It's a sad, wonderful and romantic, and yet never ever sentimental, story about a love larger than life, and what happens when a lovestory like that ends abruptly by a terrible accident.

Goran Tunstrom, who unfortunately died earlier this year, was following in the great tradition of Swedish storytellers like Selma Lagerlof and Vilhelm Moberg. Don't miss out!

Tunstroem fuses the oratorio form and lyrical language to create a captivating intergenerational story of love, loss and faith. It is set in Sweden, New Zealand and Kansas, and is accessible to readers from anywhere on the globe

Persuasive Images is a visually stunning book. No other book comes close in terms of quality or, for that matter, quantity.

Viewed purely as an art book, it's a must-have. As a history book, it's jaw-droppingly intriguing. I have never found a book, website, or museum collection as appealing and thought-provoking as you will find in this book.

I teach high school -- I have had students stay 3 hours after school just to pore over the pages of this book. It's that good.

I was extremely pleased with this book. . .I was looking for images and I was not disappointed. From humorous to chilling it's filled with tremendously powerful works. . .many of which are as vivid and visceral now as I'm sure they were then. . .

This is a wonderful new book by a poet whose lyric style is complex and fulfulling.

what we have here is the new and selected collection from the editor of norton's postmodern anthology (and that should tell you something about the poems inside). It's a good collection, though his new poems i found to be much weaker than his older work. There is an excerpt from his long poem "Novel", which i feel is a must read. The poem's taken from his collection _Viridian_ were wonderful, i haven't read viridian, but i'm sure it is an awesome collection of poems.

Paul Hoover is an experienced and successful poet having published six earlier books of award winning poetry. Totem And Shadow: New and Selected Poems continues to document his impressive talent wedded to an innate knack for memorable imagery. After Miss Graven's Remarks: Boy, my left eye cries when I see kids/play violins and things. How did they get/so young? And I can't stop my fractures/when they strike toy xylophones in a song/too sentimental, mechanical sugarplum fairies./It's brutal of them t kill me with growing up/like this, and Mrs. Pollen, who tends them,/why is she so kind under her matronly woolens?/What is so appealing in a clumsy, fuzzy/third-grader, ghostly in polyester as any/sad adult? Sure, there's no god to do it,/but they should have bright violent minds/to brace them for a while, and one tough look/keep them when Christmas isn't the mood.

The poems in Totem and Shadow, especially the newest work by Hoover, are so strong that style seems to drop away, as complex truths are given to the reader. This is a poetry of great intensity and brilliance.

The book starts off great and captures the flavor of the time period. Then the minor characters in the hospital take over and the idiocy of some criminals and hospital employees in later chapters and the plot and whatever I may care about the protagonist just fell apart for me.