Poems by the Skunk River Valley Boys - Softcover

Benson, Barry; Benson, Steve

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1421837285 ISBN 13: 9781421837284

Publisher: Blue Light Press, 2015

Synopsis

The joy of reading Poems By The Skunk River Valley Boys by Barry and Steve Benson is to watch grown men pay such careful attention to the world. The first "rule" in Barry's poem "Rules for Frustrated Poets" is to "Heed the image" - and that's exactly what these poems do. Here you'll find people (like Aunt Clara) places (mostly Iowa), rock and roll songs, the aurora borealis, plants and animals ( wolves, deer, pheasants, muskrats, pigs, hippos, bees). In the end these are poems about remembering, but what they really teach us is how to see. - Keith Ratzlaff, Author of Man Under a Pear Tree, Across the Known World, Dubious Angels: Poems After Paul Klee, and Then, a Thousand Crows ~~~ Steve and Barry Benson are story holders. They offer glimpses of childhood experiences common to us all - mysteries of first deaths and first kisses, lazy summer days and crazy summer gossip, athletic triumphs and natural insights. At once flirty, funny, and philosophical, Poems By The Skunk River Valley Boys connects us to these stories and to each other. A deftly woven presentation of these two brothers' voices, this book will delight readers and compel reflection. - Christine Stewart Nunez, Author of Keeping Them Alive ~~~ If captain Renault dropped in on the Iowa poetry scene and pronounced, "Round up the usual suspects," these two characters would certainly be among the bunch. Published across the poetic landscape (of the U.S.A.) , including our beloved state anthology Lyrical Iowa, these two brothers play a brisk poetic ping-pong across the margins and gutters of their outstanding new book. How many sibling co-authors of poetry exist out there? I would guess darn few. What are the odds of two brothers being such capable poets? Are they putting something in the water? - Rustin Larson, Author of Bum Cantos, Winter Jazz, The Collected Discography of Morning, The Wine-Dark House, and Crazy Star ~~~ Plainsongs has printed poems by Barry and Steve Benson for many years and is always pleased when they send us new materials for consideration. Now we congratulate the brothers on their second joint collection. Their poems are always rich in their own lived experiences in a recognizable Iowa context. Their poems are authentic, their insights telling, their voices resonant with Midwestern accents - with lips set for reticent understatement to conceal the depth of feeling behind the words. It's a pleasure to see their second volume! - Dwight Marsh, Emeritus Editor of Plainsongs published by Hastings College in Nebraska

About this title

About the Author

Steven R. Benson is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he teaches a variety of mathematics content courses for traditional undergraduate students and in-service mathematics teachers. Before joining the Lesley faculty, Dr. Benson was a Research Scientist at Education Development Center, Inc., where he was involved in a wide variety of projects, most of which involved the development of curricula for mathematics students and teachers. He has also facilitated preservice and in-service teacher professional development workshops across the U.S. and internationally (including serving as consultant to the Ministry of Education in Azerbaijan), directed a research project investigating the genesis and development of mathematical talent in Mathematical Olympians, and edited the problem calendar section of the Mathematics Teacher journal published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Prior to joining the EDC staff in June 2000, he held mathematics faculty positions at St. Olaf College, Santa Clara University, University of New Hampshire, and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and is currently a co-director of the Master of Science for Teachers program at the University of New Hampshire. He received his PhD from the University of Illinois, working under the direction of Leon McCulloh in algebraic number theory.

About this edition

• Publisher: Blue Light Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1421837285
• ISBN 13: 9781421837284
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 168