Eratosphere Forums - Metrical Poetry, Free Verse, Fiction, Art, Critique, Discussions Able Muse - a review of poetry, prose and art

Forum Left Top

Notices

Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Unread 08-23-2022, 09:01 AM
Susan McLean Susan McLean is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Iowa City, IA, USA
Posts: 10,090
Default Mini-Review of Richard Wakefield's Terminal Park

My mini-review of Richard Wakefield's Terminal Park:
https://www.amazon.com/Terminal-Park...ks%2C81&sr=1-2

Susan
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Unread 08-23-2022, 02:28 PM
Sarah-Jane Crowson's Avatar
Sarah-Jane Crowson Sarah-Jane Crowson is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 1,687
Default

Susan, that is an excellent review - small but perfectly formed. It makes me want to read the book (which is bad, because I have run out of budget temporarily).

I'm going to ask a potentially insensitive question, and please forgive me, it isn't meant in the spirit of offence, just curiosity as to why you didn't submit the review to a poetry magazine or zine rather than to Amazon. I recognise that Amazon has huge reach, and I think many reviewers and readers shopping there appreciate elegant writing. But still, I wonder. I don't expect you to answer, and I hope you aren't offended.

Sarah-Jane
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Unread 08-23-2022, 04:30 PM
Susan McLean Susan McLean is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Iowa City, IA, USA
Posts: 10,090
Default

Sarah-Jane,
I don't really want to support Amazon's massive power over publishing, but I realize that the reviews there are probably read by more people than any poetry magazine anywhere. My goal is to urge people to buy (or even just to read in any way they can) books by poets whose work I especially admire. Since those poets tend to be formalists, that is a group that is least likely to be reviewed by most of the poetry journals. People who read a review of a poetry book on Amazon are probably already considering buying a book, so if I can nudge them in that direction, I may be able to help good poets get read. My reviews tend to be shorter than a review in a poetry journal, so the journals might not be interested anyway. When I have written more extended reviews, I have published a few of those in poetry journals, especially those online that people don't have to pay for. I try to put into a review the kind of information I would want to know about a book. If a poet already has lots of reviews of a work, I am less likely to review that book than one that has few or none, or reviews that are not much help.

Susan
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Unread 08-24-2022, 05:59 AM
Sarah-Jane Crowson's Avatar
Sarah-Jane Crowson Sarah-Jane Crowson is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 1,687
Default

Susan,

Thank you so much for your courtesy for responding to my curious question! That makes more sense now.

I like and appreciate the short review format. It's not so pressing during the vacation, but I find myself time-starved whilst at work. But, it has to be said that I don't often go on Amazon to seek out reviews.

Not sure if this will be of interest, but Poetry Wales, which is print as well as some content online, and has a good reputation in the UK, has a format where sometimes the reviewers read three books and created three short reviews of them in one article. They are looking for reviewers if you were looking to specialise in reviews of formalist poetry (their call is open now and you add your specialism/line of interest to an online form).

There are other online magazines I am roughly networked with that like short reviews too. If it is useful I can post links as and when they call out in General.

I notice a growing (not articulated, just tacit, informal) interest in trying to write and reading formal poetry - sonnets mainly, in some other (mostly UK) communities I'm part of - I think possibly prompted by writing prompts that often explore constraints and some contemporary UK poets like Jaqueline Saphra, who write in form.

I guess what I'm saying in a roundabout way is that, from my perspective, reviews like yours would go down well in spaces outside of Amazon, and would introduce fellow writers to interesting reading material, providing you didn't feel that e-zines were a no-go space to place your reviews.

Sarah-Jane
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Unread 08-24-2022, 06:38 AM
Orwn Acra Orwn Acra is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,337
Default

If you have a Goodreads account I suggest also posting the review there. Goodreads is kind of terrible and annoying but it is mostly used by younger people.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Unread 08-24-2022, 04:16 PM
Susan McLean Susan McLean is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Iowa City, IA, USA
Posts: 10,090
Default

Sarah-Jane, I do occasionally get asked by a journal to review a book, and I usually agree when asked, so long as I think I can write a relatively positive review of it. I don't want to write negative reviews because I don't see the point, but I do want to be honest in a review. When writing reviews on a strictly voluntary basis, I can single out the books I am most enthusiastic about. Sharing good books is a joy for all involved. However, in retirement, I want to spend most of my time writing and translating poetry, not writing prose about poetry. So I am reluctant to commit to being a regular reviewer. Usually I write reviews when I have just finished reading a book I particularly liked, and I want to put into words what I liked about it.

Walter, thanks for the suggestion, which makes sense to me. I am not currently a member of Goodreads. I look at it occasionally, and I am generally not impressed with what people say about books there. There seems to be a high percentage of trolls. But you may be right that I could reach a different set of readers there, and it would not be much extra work to post my review in one other place.

Susan
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Unread 08-27-2022, 07:31 AM
Alex Pepple Alex Pepple is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 4,916
Blog Entries: 140
Default

Nice review, Susan, and much enjoyed--it shows careful reading and appreciation of Richard's craft.

Cheers,
...Alex
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



Forum Right Top
Forum Left Bottom Forum Right Bottom
 
Right Left
Member Login
Forgot password?
Forum LeftForum Right


Forum Statistics:
Forum Members: 8,399
Total Threads: 21,841
Total Posts: 270,807
There are 1687 users
currently browsing forums.
Forum LeftForum Right


Forum Sponsor:
Donate & Support Able Muse / Eratosphere
Forum LeftForum Right
Right Right
Right Bottom Left Right Bottom Right

Hosted by ApplauZ Online