Poets In Review
By Eric Greinke
Presa Press 2016
124 Pages
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Review by g emil reutter
A book review is one person’s opinion. Many reviews have no impact on sales of books, however some do. The value in a review, positive or negative, is the fact the reviewer took the time not only to read the book but to write about it..
Eric Greinke has collected his book reviews into Poets In Review. While some may believe Greinke’s ego and desire to be included in the literary cannon motivated the publication of this book, I believe his motivation was also to publish a history of post-modern poetry as witnessed through his eyes..
The reviews written between 1972 and 2015 bring into question relevance. Can dated reviews of old books be valued in today’s world? I believe they are relevant. To know history is to know lineage and Greinke has them all in this collection. He is tough on Bukowski and Creeley, kind to Giovanni, Hall and Lifshin. There is a progression in poetic thought and insight on Greinke’s part, a maturing over four decades. Some of the reviews are long and rambling others tense and short. There are books reviewed published by major houses and by small presses..
Poets In Review is a snap shot of the history of American poetry during an era of change and challenges. Get a copy, see from where you have come..
You can get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Poets-Review-Eric-Greinke/dp/0996502602
g emil reutter is a writer of poems and stories. He can be found at:https://gereutter.wordpress.com/about/
North of Oxford 