2024 the best books of the decade review

Price: $22.00
(as of Nov 09, 2024 05:37:08 UTC - Details)

Joseph Massey's Decades: Selected Poems is a career retrospective, assembling the best poems from Massey's seven critically acclaimed collections of poetry, including the previously unpublished long poem, "Prologue."

"Joseph Massey's poems do what poetry is called to do: they make us see with new eyes. Like the writers of classic haiku, Massey's currency is the detail of the world around him, and he employs both an enviable diction and acute observation in these poems. But his work also takes on enormous psychological and spiritual depth. Devoid of ego, concerned only with finding truth in neglected sights and spaces, this book is an antidote to the noise and confusion of the world, and the artifice of so much else that is written. A deeply rewarding, and ultimately moving, read."
—Sally Read, editor of 100 Great Catholic Poems

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CYQ6LTKX
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (March 26, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 252 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8880299560
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.63 x 8 inches
Reviewer: R & I
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: these poems are like seashells
Review: Exquisitely spare shapes, small enough to hold in your hand. And if you put them to your ear, you can hear the world.There is a subtle but finely honed lyricism throughout the poems. I can open to any page to find instances, but in the poem pictured (p.81), 'Shadows fall farther / from what they fail to copy' – the description is almost like an edge of reality; but I also notice the assonance, the consonance, and the weight of the stress. It's a kind of craftsmanship that conveys meaning in shadows on your ear while the sense is conveyed to your mind.Another:Cold rain claws dusk. Iclose the window and listen.The perfect poemis without words, is the thingitself thoughtlessly ringing.There are no wasted words, and what is expressed may be transitory but it isn't polemical or emotional. It's rarified. These poems deserve to last in literature, and will endure as beauty in a soul.

Reviewer: Fritzie Blue
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: To be savored
Review: This volume of poetry is an embarrassment of riches, so I limit myself to one or two a day. Joseph Massey's use of language and observance of nature is astonishing: "...Periphery-flecked, orange-white lichen attached to limbs..." I marvel at his words and feel happy he is in the world. In a perfect world he would be our country's Poet laureate.

Reviewer: Martha C. Tanner
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Wonderful
Review: This book is a wonderful read. It is beauty. It brings joy to my life.

Reviewer: MHodges
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Really love this collection!
Review: Such thoughtful poetry. I found it really enjoyable and continue to pick up this collection daily.

Reviewer: Craig
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great selection of Poems!
Review: Read, learn and expand your interests. Well Done!Bravo!!

Reviewer: Fourthwall
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: daily doses of the good, the true, and the beautiful
Review: I've enjoyed Joseph's poetry for quite some time, but never purchased any books on account of limited shelf space. This is perfect, a collection of the best he has produced thus far, ensuring that each day I can pick up one poem and know it will resonate. Get your daily dose of the good, the true, and the beautiful. Can't recommend this enough!

Reviewer: Happyendurogal
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: invoking and lovely
Review: mr. Massey's poems always thought provoking that sometime bring melancholy and sometimes joy.

Reviewer: ColfaxJen
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: How to review a book of poetry?
Review: My copy of Decades arrived yesterday.The first poem, Prologue, touched my spirit, and tears fell. That’s what I love about Joseph’s art; in a turn of phrase, a few short words, he connects to the human and the yearning for the divine in me. This is a book I will savor, slowly, and keep handy on the table, to pick up and be transported out of the chaos of the day to day into contemplation, a touch of beauty, and often, the sublime.