POETRY FROM PARADISE VALLEY

POETRY FROM PARADISE VALLEY
Click Image to Visit the Pecan Grove Press Web Page for Poetry from Paradise Valley

POETRY FROM PARADISE VALLEY web page

Poetry From Paradise Valley

Pecan Grove Press has released an anthology of poems, a sampling of works published in Valparaiso Poetry Review during its first decade, from the original 1999-2000 volume to the 2009-2010 volume.


Poetry from Paradise Valley includes a stellar roster of 50 poets. Among the contributors are a former Poet Laureate of the United States, a winner of the Griffin International Prize, two Pulitzer Prize winners, two National Book Award winners, two National Book Critics Circle winners, six finalists for the National Book Award, four finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Award, two finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, and a few dozen recipients of other honors, such as fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, etc.

Readers are encouraged to visit the Poetry from Paradise Valley page at the publisher's web site, where ordering information about the book can be found.

Best Books of Indiana 2011: Finalist. Judges' Citation: "Poetry from Paradise Valley is an excellent anthology that features world-class poetry, including the work of many artists from the Midwest, such as Jared Carter, Annie Finch, David Baker, and Allison Joseph. It’s an eclectic and always interesting collection where poems on similar themes flow into each other. It showcases the highest caliber of U. S. poetry."
—Indiana Center for the Book, Indiana State Library

Monday, October 11, 2010

"Basketball with Alex"


The temperatures this weekend were unusually warm, especially for October in Indiana; therefore, as evidenced by the accompanying photos, Alex and I took advantage of the ideal weather to play some basketball Sunday afternoon at a park near our house that we frequently visit.

Consequently, this also seems the perfect opportunity to post “Basketball with Alex,” a brief poem I wrote earlier this year.


Basketball with Alex

He dribbles as though with rhythms
. . . . . learned from listening to those older

recordings of mine, the vintage jazz
. . . . . he loves so much. Each time driving

the basket, he even seems to imitate
. . . . . the pulse of remembered downbeats.


. . . . . . . . . . * * *


Counting every bounce, he bounds
. . . . . across half court toward an empty net,

appearing to appreciate reassurance
. . . . . he receives whenever the ball returns,

trusts that way it always snaps back
. . . . . as if never wanting to leave his hand.


. . . . . —Edward Byrne

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