I had the opportunity to be taught under Deb Marquart and all I can say is she's terrific! EVERYTHING'S A VERB shows that she practices what she teaches, relating some of her real life experiences into her poetry. I was pretty mesmerized by her writing. To this day, I still love "Getting Ready," and wish I could write something are great as that. I would recommend this to anyone who loves poetry. Deb has a great gift, and I'm sure right now she's "being-have."

She knows how to use language! Read these poems outloud, to yourself or to anyone! I read this over and over. She tells what it's like to be a girl, a woman, a musician, a lover.

Another collection of actionless short stories by yet another tenured academic "writer." When will these academic authors learn that in order to make money as writers they must first tell intelligent, meaningful, gripping, action-packed stories? Don't look for a novel from Miss Marquart--she hasn't got the range. Something needs to happen in a story--an abortion, a fight, an accident--SOMETHING. Nothing happens here; the musicians go from town to town. Even more distressing is the author's obvious complexes and hatreds relating to men. Pass this one by!

The Hunger Bone is a wonderful collection of short stories strung together with shorter stories, prose poems, to give the collection texture and contribute to the creation of a world -- the world of travelling rock and roll musicians. The characters are beautifully drawn, and the stories reveal the thrills and trials of such a life. There's lots of humor here, and cynical glimpses of the audience's behavior on a dance floor when energy is high and inhibitions are low. We see the economic struggles of the musicians, their loyalties to each other, and points when those loyalties break down. The details are clear and ring true, and the tales are moving. Any lover of rock and roll would love this book. It's great. The elegant prose is so beautiful -- musical, in fact.

I read the stories of Debra Marquart's THE HUNGER BONE with great pleasure. The music, of course, is in the language, which sings in every story. These stories crackle with energy, with an alive mind that registers the crudities and the nuances of the rock scene. The stories are funny, laughing-out-loud funny, but the humor never obscures the sadness, sometimes the desperation, that always nags at Marquart's road musicians. The best moments, when the music is right or the landscape lights up at dawn after a long night's driving, are ephemeral. And the road spools on out in front of the van.

These stories might not make you want to be a road musician, but they will make you feel like you have been. It's a ride!