http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/bruce-dethlefsen-breather/ Norbert Blei's Poetry Dispatch and other Notes from the Underground. “We live to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection,” said Anaїs Nin. Fri, 17 May 2013 23:30:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/bruce-dethlefsen-breather/#comment-1379 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:57:03 +0000 http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/?p=3737#comment-1379 Thought you were being pretty nit-picky, Norb, about the rat-trap quality of this book’s binding. You weren’t. I’ve often been offended by books that wouldn’t easily stay open, including a few from Cross+Roads Press and from Little Eagle Press, as well, but I pulled “Breather” down from the shelf, and lo and behold, once again you have spake true. A beautiful book, tight-bound. LET NONE OF THIS detract from the excellence and inventiveness of Bruce Dethlefsen’s poetry, which always takes me on new journeys. Figure out a way to prop the book open; it’s worth it.

]]> http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/bruce-dethlefsen-breather/#comment-1370 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:40:04 +0000 http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com/?p=3737#comment-1370 Norb, thanks for giving this guy time. From the first poems of his I read I was entranced with his humor, musicality, playfulness with form.No one in the Midwest, I think,writes like this. Wendell Berry, Richard Jones, John Caddy, are some who have honed their lines to sharpness, yet Bruce introduces an element of flexibility, allowing the fully human to emerge and be carried. Can’t wait to see what comes along.

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