Cheryl Dumesnil was one of my professors in college. I have not read this book yet, but based on her abilities as a teacher, I am totally looking forward to reading it.

Addonizio's and Dumesnil's anthology on writings on tattoos is a great collection of work. You can't go wrong with the writings inside.

There is some great (and at times surprising) fiction inside, which includes: an excerpt from Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man, Kafka's "In the Penal Colony," Sylvia Plath's story "The Fifteen Dollar Eagle," and Flannery O'Connor's "Parker's Back." O'Connor is always a joy to read, and this story is an especially good one. There's even a piece from Herman Melville (selected from Typee). Steve Vender has a most interesting piece on meeting one of the gang members he is to defend--this is a fascinating piece. And there are also vignettes scattered throughout where people discuss their tattoos, as well as other pieces of fiction.

And there's poetry by Thom Gunn, Kim Addonizio, Bob Hicok, Mark Doty, Cheryl Dumesnil, J.D. McClatchy, Tony Hoagland, Brenda Hillman, Laura A. Goldstein, Garnett Kilberg Cohen, Michael Waters, Joseph Millar, Katharine Whitcomb, Eliot Wilson, Bruce Bond, Virginia Chase Sutton, Lissette Mendez, Dzvinia Orlowsky, and Denise Duhamel.

Not only does it look impressive, it reads very, very well. I'm not surprised that Addonizio put together such a strong selection of work. I can't think of any other person who would have been more suited to this type of anthology. It's a great collection, one I'm sure everyone would enjoy reading.

Even if you are not a fan of, or have any tattoos, you cannot help immersing yourself in the assembled writings. The editors have done a great job. I found it hard to put this one down. Fascinating subject, fascinating writing. If you appreciate great writing, you'll love this book. You may even decide to go out and get your own tattoo.

Dottie is my fave poet and my literary hero. Wouldn't model my life after hers, but I sure wish I could sharpen my tongue to match hers sometimes. Loved reading this.

A friend allowed me to borrow this book as he happened to buy it the same day I happened to be reading a short story written by Dorothy Parker. This book of Dorothy Parker's lost poems is completely amazing. Her wit is remarkable and I love the unexpected turns that hit you right at the end of her poems. The footnotes are fantastic and as I read about her life I became even more fascinated by her. I would recommend this amazingly witty and fun book to anyone.

The introduction and ancedotes were what really drew me to this book. The footnotes are wonderful!

What is tragedy and how does it work? These are questions you will understand better after reading this book. Set sometime in the second half of the 19th century, the story concerns the fortunes of the Gourlay family in the small Scottish town of Barbie. John Gourlay, a big, domineering, but intellectualy challenged man dominates the local economy and has a monopoly of the carrying trade. He is harsh and powerful, of bull-like stature, and famous for his glower. On a brae overlooking Barbie he has built the House wIth the Green Shutters. This house is both the symbol of his dominance and an object of hatred and envy to the townsfolk.

Aristotle defined tragedy as a story depicting the downfall of a great man. At first it is hard to see this stupid, cruel, and grasping merchant as a great man, but The House With the Green Shutters will also improve your notions of what greatness is. John Gourlay is great because there is no fear or compromise in him. Although he may wish to be well thought of by the small-minded, two-faced gossips of the town, he is not prepared to go one inch out of his way for them, scorning even the banal pleasantries of small talk or phatic communication. He wants only their respect not their love, and respect him they do even though they also hate him.

With all true tragedy the tragic element comes directly from the greatness. It is his greatness that destroys John Gourlay. His stubborn pride and unflinching courage are qualities more suited to some heroic age of battles and revolutions. They do not fit into the petty, hypocritical world of 19th century Scotland. In this unheroic world his heroic qualities can only work towards his downfall. The thought constantly in one's mind as you read this novel is, 'If only he were a lesser man . . .' His inability to compromise by lowering himself to the same level as his fellow citizens, works to his disadvantage. Unable to plot, maneuver, and dissemble, his little empire is soon undermined by the arrival in town of Wilson, a glib self-seeking nobody with no real passion, but a much abler businessman in tune with the times. Affable and manipulative, false and corrupt he starts to squeeze Gourlay out of one thing after another. This is ,in effect, the triumph of style over substance that so bedevils our modern age. Although grim, proud and dour, Gourlay is an honest man, inept at chicanery, and unable to bend to suit the occasion.

The House With the Green Shutters is a tragedy in the full classical Greek sense of the word; the preordained fall of a hero who doesn't fit into an unheroic world; a great bull sacrificed to appease the Gods for human hubris. It is even more poignant from the fact that its keynote of tragedy was reflected in the life of its young author who had the misfortune to die only one year after writing such a masterpiece.

What is tragedy and how does it work? These are questions you will understand better after reading this book. Set sometime in the second half of the 19th century, the story concerns the fortunes of the Gourlay family in the small Scottish town of Barbie. John Gourlay, a big, domineering, but intellectualy challenged man dominates the local economy and has a monopoly of the carrying trade. He is harsh and powerful, of bull-like stature, and famous for his glower. On a brae overlooking Barbie he has built the House wIth the Green Shutters. This house is both the symbol of his dominance and an object of hatred and envy to the townsfolk.

Aristotle defined tragedy as a story depicting the downfall of a great man. At first it is hard to see this stupid, cruel, and grasping merchant as a great man, but The House With the Green Shutters will also improve your notions of what greatness is. John Gourlay is great because there is no fear or compromise in him. Although he may wish to be well thought of by the small-minded, two-faced gossips of the town, he is not prepared to go one inch out of his way for them, scorning even the banal pleasantries of small talk or phatic communication. He wants only their respect not their love, and respect him they do even though they also hate him.

With all true tragedy the tragic element comes directly from the greatness. It is his greatness that destroys John Gourlay. His stubborn pride and unflinching courage are qualities more suited to some heroic age of battles and revolutions. They do not fit into the petty, hypocritical world of 19th century Scotland. In this unheroic world his heroic qualities can only work towards his downfall. The thought constantly in one's mind as you read this novel is, 'If only he were a lesser man . . .' His inability to compromise by lowering himself to the same level as his fellow citizens, works to his disadvantage. Unable to plot, maneuver, and dissemble, his little empire is soon undermined by the arrival in town of Wilson, a glib self-seeking nobody with no real passion, but a much abler businessman in tune with the times. Affable and manipulative, false and corrupt he starts to squeeze Gourlay out of one thing after another. This is ,in effect, the triumph of style over substance that so bedevils our modern age. Although grim, proud and dour, Gourlay is an honest man, inept at chicanery, and unable to bend to suit the occasion.

The House With the Green Shutters is a tragedy in the full classical Greek sense of the word; the preordained fall of a hero who doesn't fit into an unheroic world; a great bull sacrificed to appease the Gods for human hubris. It is even more poignant from the fact that its keynote of tragedy was reflected in the life of its young author who had the misfortune to die only one year after writing such a masterpiece.

In his story of the downfall of an arrogant and essentially stupid man, George Douglas Brown is relentlessly unsentimental. His portrait of life in a tiny Scottish town in the late 1800's leaves the reader with no illusions about the narrow-mindedness of the inhabitants. Bleak as their existence is, the novel is not depressing, but fascinating. While many readers will have trouble with the dialect of the speakers (the narration is standard English), the effort required to "translate" is well rewarded.

Brilliant! Dorothy Parker's poetry is ageless. As you read each of the poems in this book, you are taken on a tour, not only of her life but of anyone's "of a certain age." She is wistful, audacious, happy & sad, critical and praising. She "rails against the night" in every way possible and the tour becomes a reflection of your own life in every way. I doubt if Dorothy Parker thought that 60 years later someone else would read her poetry & identify with it. I think she would be pleased!

Browsing through a used bookstore I recently ran across a 1942 edition of The Collected Poetry of Dorothy Parker. Quite simply, a marvelous book.

When I moved from a previous residence I mistakenly did not pack this precious book. I has been a reference of mine for thirty years. I miss it like a long, lost friend. If you can obtain a copy I hightly recommend it. It is essential for anyone who loves preserving, or finds themselves with an excess of any foodstuffs. Even has a recipe and explanation of Chinese 1000 year eggs, and my lost recipe for currant liquor. Excellent. Can we talk the publishers into a new printing?

Covers food storage techniques from around the world; --pickling, smoking, canning, drying, freezing and jelly-making. Then theres a special section on wines, cheeses sausages and other preserves. The instructions are clear and the recipes are classics! No matter what your tastes are there is something in here for you. In addition to being informative there are plenty of antedotes throughout that keep the reading light and interesting. The following short list of recipes available might give you some idea of how vast their coverage of the topic was.

CHESTNUT PASTE MILK LIQUEUR HOME STYLE GERMAN CHEESE CARROT JAM GUAVA JELLY CRABAPPLE WINE

I'd say it was innovative if i didn't know it was old-fashioned!!!

I love short stories to begin with, and this is one of, if not the absolute, best short stories book. Ms. Parker pokes fun at high society, everyday life, the art scene, and pretty much everything establishment, keeping a straight face while pointing out all the absurdities and little hypocrisies of people. Many of the tales are the right-out funny kind (Advice to the Little Peyton Girl, From the Diary of a New York Lady, Men I'm Not Married To); many others are equally ironic, though not the kind of irony intended to make you laugh (Big Blonde, Clothe the Naked, The Bolt Behind the Blue). I'm also happy to say the pass of time hasn't dulled the punch of it; in fact, this is the perfect gift for your annoying friend, parent, or any other nostalgic of your acquaintance that won't stop pining for the good ol' times; for those more present-minded ones, there's also plenty of good stuff, as sharp today as it was when written (like my personal favorite, 'Professional Youth', published in 1923). In short, brilliant.

Finally, the book for my own unique fettish with the wonderful world of potatoes. This is a whole book, with pictures and everything, devoted to man's single greatest invention, the potato. Does life get any better than this? I guess potatoes aren't really inventions but I still loved this book. It taught me things to do with potatoes that I had thought were illegal in most states. We're talking everything from potato a la mode (that's right, potatoes and ice cream!)to potato popsicles (delicious with just a hint of paprika by the way). Put simply, this instructional book teaches not only the cook, but the lover, the intellect, and the soul all at the same time. The heavens were smiling upon us when they dropped "Cooking with Poatatoes" from above. Its emotions, its metaphors for the human condition, and its inate understanding of the human heart transcend our modern incredulities and cynicism to lead us by the hand into the garden of vegetable roots. Yes my friends, heaven is a place on Earth. I have seen it. Heaven, thy name is "Cooking with Potatoes."

P.S. I really liked this book.

Mrs. Parker possessed a venom that incapacitated its victims with sheer brainy pleasure. Her stories are tight, sparse, and crunchy with wit--Oscar Wilde looks like Krusty the Klown in comparison. While some would complain that she rarely strays from critiquing the hypocrisies of the wealthy and powerful, it's hard to argue that there isn't enough material therein to fuel a thousand careers. Her work is essential reading for those of us who aren't perfectly at ease with the ways of the world but find ourselves coping with it anyway.

The Elaine Stritch readings of seven of these stories are also tremendously entertaining and worthy of separate purchase. The delight of sitting in a darkened room, listening to a master actress reading Mrs. Parker, sipping from a tumbler of whiskey, must be experienced to be believed.

Dorothy Parker is one of the great women writers of the twentieth century. Though her life was marred by alcoholism and rather poor choices, her biting, insightful stories are a window into the twenties and women in general. I read her stories whenever I've had a rough day and need a giggle.

And I thought I knew all of the short story writers who write good social satire, especially about the Battle of the Sexes. Do you like John Updike's dissonant couples the Maples? John Cheever's middle-class suburban sashayings? John O'Hara's accounts of evil-propelled mis-treatments and non-treatments? Ring Lardner's tales of hamfisted bunglings? Katherine Mansfield's dry-point etchings of looming males and tendril-like females?

To these I can now add Dorothy Parker--whom I discovered only last month after enjoying the above social-critics for decades. A sharp-tongued journalist, Parker wrote in New York City in the 1920's through the 1950's. She's a key addition to the "fruit salad" of these writers--call her a lime, perhaps--small, tart, acid but somehow quenching our thirst for the truth however tangy?

Parker precisely pinpoints interpersonal shipwrecks. Marriage is--what happens. Often it's like this:

In "New York to Detroit," on the telephone, a man mechanically shoves a desperate woman out of his life. The bad connection aids his "misunderstandings" of her frantic pleas.

In "Here We Are," a just-married couple travel by train to their New York City honeymoon hotel. But we see already the stress-fractures of immature overreactions, and how out of them starts to ooze the lava of hatred which will surely melt down (or burn out) the marriage soon.

In "Too Bad," women are perplexed, even astonished, that the Weldons separated. Such an ideal couple! Except Parker eavesdrops us into the couple's typical evening at home. Its genteel vacancy, polite non-communication, and quiet distancing tell the tale.

Is Parker too crude a caricaturist? Heavy on the satire, too bitter personally? True, her women seem simplified: helplessly-hysterical, nice-nice faceless patseys or creampuffs, captives of bland routines--and of men. Her men similarly seem generic males-of-the-species, "blunt bluff hearty and...meaningless," conventionally-whiskered and all, chauvinistically-insensitive if not cruel. Okay... But if it's overdone, why do I feel I have known and seen these people, or traces of them, often, and not in New York of the 1920's-1950's either?

I suspect that Dorothy Parker was angry most of the time. It certainly seems so from her writing. Yet she seems to have enjoyed the state of being angry more than any other writer I can think of. This excellent collection of her poetry and prose presents a brilliant cynical take on the world she inhabited. One we largely still inhabit. I have heard her condemned as a product of her time and place, but the insight and emotional connection that readers still feel from her jabs and verbal skewerings, is quite real and personal. She had a way of turning the pain in her life into a good joke - often at her own expense - expressed in a truely memorable way. She also could deflate others (especially in her reviews) with a skill that few writers have ever possessed.

For those gifted with a little anger at the world, this book offers a brilliant collection of ways to express it.

It's not enough to say that Dorothy Parker was great, or that she was brilliant. It's hard to see from a distance her colossal impact on the literary world. When you buy this book (and you WILL buy it; these aren't the droids you're looking for) immediately read some of the very earliest stories. They are of WWI vintage or so. If you remember high school literature, short stories written just before Parker put pen to paper were the somewhat longer "chapter of a novel" type, of Guy de Maupassant, or W. Somerset Maugham. Dorothy Parker virtually invented the "slice of life" short story, which she brought to the New Yorker. This style became the standard of the fledgling magazine, popular with the public, and without a doubt helped get the magazine off the ground.

This style is still the pervasive one today.

Short stories were not all Mrs. Parker wrote. She wrote play reviews, and as Constant Reader book reviews. She could dismiss a play with "House Beautiful is Play Lousy," or take down her least favored AA Milne with "Tonstant Weader frowed up." She once spent the better part of a review complaining about her hang-over. She kept New Yorker readers coming back week after week, laugh junkies after a fix. And so she changed the voice of the reviewer as well. Previously, the reviewer voice had been detached and quite dry, rattling off obligatory lines about the costumes, the sets, the leading actor, the leading actress-- as predictable as the label on a shampoo bottle. The wonderful Libby Gelman-Waxner is her direct descendent. Pauline Kael is a niece, although she might have bristled at the suggestion. Andrew Harris and Elvis Mitchell can thank Mrs. Parker for their unfettered freedom.

The best thing about reading this collection is discovering the sheer joy Mrs. Parker took in writing. She was good and she knew it.

She once said, in reviewing the unfortunate book Debonair, that the curse of a satirist is that "she writes superbly of the things she hates," but when she tries to write of things she likes, "the result is appalling." Personally, I find Parker moving and eloquent in her reviews of the Journal of Katherine Mansfield, and Isadora Duncan's posthumously published autobiography, two books that touched and impressed her, but it is true that her distinctive voice croons most seductively when she doesn't like something. Unfortunately, one is left with the impression that she didn't like much other than gin, Seconal and dogs, but I don't think that's true. If she were as unhappy as is commonly believed, she would have escalated her suicidal behavior, and not have lived to the age of 74. She would not have had the passion to march for the acquittal of Sacco and Venzetti, to travel to Spain during the country's civil war, to volunteer as a war correspondent during WWII, and to join in voice and body the civil rights movement in her last decade.

I think disdain rather than anger is a better word for what she felt towards the targets of her wit-- and it is true that sometimes a retrospective view of her own behavior was the target, but the ability to laugh at oneself is the sign of, well, if not mental health, at least a well-rounded emotional self.

And by the way, since Parker had no heirs, she left her estate, including future earnings from her work, to Dr. Martin Luther King jr., and when he sadly died the year after she did, he passed on the right to profit from the Parker works to the NAACP, so for every copy of this book sold, the author's cut profits the NAACP.

Dorothy has a possession of the english language that is almost demonic, and coupled with her insight into the weaknesses of human nature (not to mention her own), her prose and poetry are witty, cutting and hilarious. Her poetry is short and quotable and her short stories explored the mundane and ridiculous of American Life far earlier than most writers. My favorites, however, are her book and play reviews. They are genius, and can leave you rolling on the floor. This is my favorite collection of Dorothy's work. I have found that collections of only poetry or short stories soon became tedious and extremely depressing (I wonder if Dorothy on Prozak would have produced such great work). This is an excellent volume for those just discovering Dorothy, and great to keep handy for a "little read."

This book is a compilation of all three of Parker's books of poetry as well as her published book of short stories. As for the price, it can't be beat, especially considering it's in hardcover. Plus, you also don't have to worry about buying 2 or 3 books to make sure you've got all of the poems you wanted.

Dorothy Parker's writing is fantastic anyway, and uses cynical wit to draw the reader into the poem. The reader laughs, but manages to feel empathetic. Her style is unique and doesn't seem outdated, even though most of this was written at least half a century ago. If you've ever wanted to laugh about being broken-hearted, this is the book for you.

Great book. Ideal for any Dorothy Parker fan

Having been exposed only to the most famous few of Parker's poems and quips, I was surprised to find she had written so much poetry and that, in fact, she was an accomplished short story writer as well. It's her short fiction which has engrossed me. Her dialogues are killingly accurate in their pacing and cadences. Her take on human nature is razor sharp as always. I'm finding her fiction more rewarding than her poetry because it is less self-indulgent and her range of subjects is broader. It's only a shame she never got it together to write more stories or a novel. Most definitely worth exploring if you haven't read her before.