American Smooth
By Rita Dove
2004
First Published
3.90
Average Rating
144
Number of Pages
"Rita Dove pulls the ultimate dance trick: she makes it look easy."— New York Times Book Review An occasion to celebrate: a new collection by the Pulitzer Prize-winning former poet laureate; her first since On the Bus with Rosa Parks . With the grace of an Astaire, Rita Dove's magnificent poems pay homage to our kaleidoscopic cultural heritage; from the glorious shimmer of an operatic soprano to Bessie Smith's mournful wail; from paradise lost to angel food cake; from hotshots at the local shooting range to the Negro jazz band in World War I whose music conquered Europe before the Allied advance. Like the ballroom-dancing couple of the title poem, smiling and making the difficult seem effortless, Dove explores the shifting surfaces between perception and intimation.
Avg Rating
3.90
Number of Ratings
288
5 STARS
30%
4 STARS
40%
3 STARS
24%
2 STARS
6%
1 STARS
1%
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