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Good Poems
- Selected and Introduced by Garrison Keillor
- Narrated by: Garrison Keillor
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
Non-member price: $27.62
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Publisher's Summary
Good Poems includes poems about lovers, children, failure, everyday life, death, and transcendence. It features the work of classic poets, such as Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Robert Frost, as well as the work of contemporary greats such as Howard Nemerov, Charles Bukowski, Donald Hall, Billy Collins, Robert Bly, and Sharon Olds. Good Poems includes poems about lovers, children, failure, everyday life, death, and transcendence.
The poems are read by Keillor and a number of the poets included in the collection. Some are wise, some are funny, some are soothing or heartwarming. All were chosen for their wit, frankness, passion, and, in Keillor's words, their utter clarity in the face of everything else a person has to deal with at 7 a.m.
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What listeners say about Good Poems
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 19-07-2019
Great poems but many untitled
Loved the selection of poem but some were titled with authors while authors were not. Still worth getting and listening to. Beautiful
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- e8936
- 02-12-2014
No Table of Contents
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
It's very difficult to find out which poems are included, and no way to determine who reads it, without listening to the tracks which are unhelpfully labelled Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc. If you just want to "let is play," you can find something to divert you, but good luck finding it again. To improve the experience, send a copy of the book along with the CD.
22 people found this helpful
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- KSmith
- 27-01-2011
Very good, but. . .
I have three wishes: an unabridged version; a "chapter" break between poems [I listen with iTunes on my computer, and if I want to hear a poem over, it is difficult to navigate to the right spot]; and the title/poet named before each and every poem.
Very pleasant listen!! Highly recommended.
28 people found this helpful
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- Amy
- 26-02-2014
A Pure Delight
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This book is a pure delight. I expected to hear Garrison Keillor narrate all of the poems, and while his soothing voice began the book with Psalm 23, followed by Raymond Carver's "At Least," and John Berryman's "Address to the Lord," he was not the only narrator. I was surprised to hear the voice of Billy Collins reading his poem, "Nightclub," and a number of other poets and narrators reading their own or other poets' works. I also own a hard copy of this great anthology which is what prompted me to buy the audio version. At night, I put in my earbuds and listen to this book in bed as I fall asleep.
What other book might you compare Good Poems to and why?
Aimless Love by Billy Collins, while not an anthology, is another favorite poetry collection on audible.
Have you listened to any of Garrison Keillor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have listened to Garrison Keillor read his poem of the day. He has a wonderful voice and delivery.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I was deeply touched by the reading of John Berryman's "Address to the Lord."
Any additional comments?
Hearing poetry read is a deeply contemplative experience, preferable to simply reading it in print. I hope that audible will add more books of poetry to the catalog.
12 people found this helpful
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- Ellen G
- 29-09-2017
Table of contents
Does anyone have the table of contents for this?WOuld like to know what I'm listening to
6 people found this helpful
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- Alice Pyle
- 22-07-2016
Poems to come back to
I love this book. I've had a casserole of it for years, and it's almost worn out. It's great to have it on my IPad now. The readings by Garrison and others are calm, without theatrics, and memorable. I listen often, and at length.
5 people found this helpful
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- 22Wonderful
- 26-04-2015
Sunday afternoon poems
Perfect for a Sunday afternoon or stormy summertime. The poems are timeless, centered much on family, death and dying as much as the pleasure of idleness and love.
Purely delicious, this set is a new favorite companion.
5 people found this helpful
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- John
- 29-12-2016
Garrison
Wish Garrison had narrated each poem. The others were fine and provided change but Garrison made them sing
4 people found this helpful
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- Bill Weir MN
- 03-11-2015
"Good Poems" Often Great
I've read aloud many a poem to a congregation and found these readings often outstanding, not overdramatic, conveying the spirit of the poem, bringing them alive.
3 people found this helpful
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- Sevedge
- 10-11-2018
Pure delight
Listening to these poems was one of the greatest pleasures of my past two months. I savored them slowly, soaking them in. Sometimes laughing, sometimes remembering, sometimes realizing. I was deeply sad to come to it’s end. My only consolation is that I can go back to the beginning.
2 people found this helpful
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- U. webb
- 16-11-2016
Mediocre Poems & a few good ones
Multiple narrators, no indexing, no table of contents, a wide range poets - some famous and now a couple of infamous poets. It seems that Garrison Keillor does less than half of the poems. Not all of the woe is gone from Lake Wobegon.
6 people found this helpful
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