My favorite book of love poems by the eclectic talent of Rod McKuen. He's written several poetry books, but this one's the best all because of the poem, 'The Outstretched Hand.' McKuen has done just about everything in life besides being a talented songwriter and entertainer. He's been a Radio D.J., composer, newspaper columnist and now best-selling author. He did the motion picture scores for, 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' & 'Joanna.' He's recorded 35 record albums of his own songs. He has published 'Stanyan Street and other Sorrows' in 1966 and 'Listen to the Warm.' If you want to know about Rod McKuen style this is a good place to start.

Here's an excerpt from the book of 'The Outstretched Hand' (for Jay Allen):

Each of us was made by God
and some of us grew tall.
Others stood out in the wind
their branches bent and fell.
Those of us who walk in light
must help the ones in darkness up.

For that's what life is all about
and love is all there to life.

Each of us made by God
beautiful in His mind's eye.
Those of us that turned out sowed
should look across our shoulders once
and help the weak ones to their feet.

It only takes an outstretched hand.

Lonesome Cities runs the whole gambit of love poems, from elated to lost and then some. This was my introduction to Rod McKuen, and what an introduction it was.

This is, by far, one of the most beautifully told stories of coming of age in what would turn out to be the start (albeit several years early!) of San Francisco in the '60's. It's the pure and honest sharing of the most intimate joys and pain of early love. Although only a limited number of copies were printed, it is a gem to be cherished.

One of his greatest books. I read it over and over and strongly suggest for people of all ages. Especially those in love.

This book is one of my favorites, and I have them all but one.
As always Rod speaks directly to you and never misses the mark. Page 22 is my favorite. I always feel Rod knew me in another life and you will feel it too. This is a must for every collector.

Stanyon Street touches the reader with its moving words. McKuen paints pictures for us to walk into and become a part of his world. These poems are beautiful and moving expressions of life and love.

I read this wonderful book and many of Rod's other work in the 70s and 80s. He has an incredible ability to reach into your soul from off the page, and in person - I saw him live on stage in England four times.

One of McKuen's strong points has always been his ability to express in simple words what all of us have probably encounted at one time or another; love and sorrow. He has the ability to say what all of have wanted to say, express in human terms the emotions all of us have experienced. He may not use the heady prose of the great writers, but there is hardly a person alive who can read this book and not say, "Been there, felt that".

I've searched everywhere for this book. I had a copy back in the early 70's and loaned it out and never got it back. I did find that a library in Ft Myers has copies of Rod McKuen books, so I guess I'll have to visit the library next time I'm in Florida. Rod McKuen could use simple words to describe a raft of emotions and feelings.

Rod McKuen is a phenomenal modern poet. His words evoke emotions in their rawest form--sorrow, joy, anger, loneliness, etc. I cannot imagine someone reading his poetry and remaining untouched by it.

According to one of the other reviewers, his poetry is "drivel." First of all, it sounds to me like someone (the author of the review) is having some trouble publishing their own poetry and is a bit jealous of McKuen. Secondly, the author's struggles with depression and his willingness to share that with us are nothing to be made light of. Finally, nothing they said in their review convinces anyone that McKuen's poetry is not worth reading. If anything, please go out and buy or borrow this book and read it yourself, to prove this reviewer wrong.

Rod McKuen is a brilliant writer with poetry that is truly beautiful in its simplicity. No, he is not a pretentious writer. Poetry doesn't have to be masked by a thousand layers of metaphor (Dylan Thomas?) in order to make it valid. McKuen's poetry in fact proves otherwise--that often the direct is the most effective (and braver) way to reach the reader. Perhaps McKuen knew what others have as well--John Lennon, William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, and Leslie Marmon Silko, to name a few--that the ordinary and simple can be extraordinary and beautiful.

I never advocated book burning until being exposed to Rod McKuen. Widely known as a mawkish hawker of twaddle and anthologized only in chapters titled "Recognizing Good Poetry--and Bad", McKuen has exlpored new depths of pure piffle with this egregious insult to paper and ink. If you're a fan of camp, Ed Wood, and TV's "Full House," go ahead for a good laugh. If you like poetry, save yourself and flee in terror.

This is an excellent collection of poems. I just picked it up one day and began reading. I found myself reading it over and over again, taking more from it each time. I recommend this book if you want to understand and experience love and loss through words.

I can truly say that this book changed my life. The title poem is the best, and "Girl" is a close second. I'll put this simply: If you have anything that you might call a soul, you'd be crazy not to have this book.

This book was in everywhere in the early 1970s -- in bookstore window and given as gifts to friends -- so it's difficult to believe it's not even in print today. Rod McKuen was a romantic, "touchy-feely" poet; he was someone you read in your early 20s and outgrew when the time came to buckle down to the more workday world of job and family. That said, these poems are not all puerile -- you can find some good lines in them if you look hard enough. "Warm" has decidedly grown cold, but it's time for a revival. I'd give him -- not only this book but his numerous others that appeared around the same few years -- a 4 for the mix: better than average, but if you're looking for poetry that sticks to your ribs a little longer, look elsewhere.