June Book Pick: “A Kick in the Head,” edited by Paul Janeczko

“Poetry gives me a kick in the head.  Poetry gives me a kick!” writes poet, Joan Bransfield Graham, featured in Paul Janeczko’s “everyday guide to poetic forms”, A Kick in the Head.  This well organized, playfully illustrated volume makes the reader want to reach for a pen and get started.  Janeczko  introduces 29 different types of poetry, including haiku, roundels, villanelles and concete poems — and offers one or two examples, and a brief explanation for each.

This is a book that invites participation, and I cannot think of a better induction for budding poets than the “Kick in the Head” challenge of writing a poem a week using each of Janeczko’s forms.

Why wrestle with poetic form at a time when modern poets favour modern verse?  Click here to read the full review.


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