The Language of Life: A Festival of Poets

by Bill Moyers

Book Overview

"Poets live the lives all of us live," says Bill Moyers, "with one big difference. They have the power--the power of the word--to create a world of thoughts and emotions other can share. We only have... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385479174
• Release Date: July 1995
• Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell
• Length: 443 Pages
• Weight: 2.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.8" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Shouting Poetry into the Wind

I feel certain that Bill Moyers is a journalist, not a poet. At least, that's what he claimed when he wrote a book entitled "Moyers On America: A Journalist and His Times!" Now he's written a book called "The Language of Life: A Festival of Poets." It's a reprint. Somehow I missed it the first time around. As its title suggests it is a collection of poetry by poets. So I opened the book. Lo and behold, the second chapter is a conversation with James A. Autry whose book "Looking Around for God" is like a "fleck of foam" that "floats in the air," to use some of the imagery of this book. I thought that Autry was retired from his career in Des Moines, Iowa, managing Meredith Publishing Group, a Fortune 500 company. Even in this conversation, though, he offers his poetry to us all even though he isn't a poet. That's a bit strange, I think. Here I am, one who has a hard time distinguishing between prose and poetry, reading about a conversation about poetry between a journalist, who isn't a poet, and a business man, who isn't a poet, but writes poetry. I am even enthralled by reading the prose of their conversation about poetry. To make bad matters worse, I haven't gotten beyond this second conversation and here I am recommending that you buy and read this book. In Autry's book, to which I referred above, he said that he was "looking around for God." He may not know it because sometimes God can be found in "divine hiddenness" and you aren't likely to find what is hidden. But some manifestation of God is in on this conversation. While Autry is "looking around for God," my word to him and his conversation partner is, "Quit looking!" God can be found in many of these very conversations. Talk about "festival of poets!" Gary Snyder says poetry comes "blundering over the boulders at night" and he goes "to meet it at the edge of light!" And standing there on "the edge" is, maybe God, or is it poetry? There may be no difference. Then there is the name Brian Swimme used to "name the Name." Allurement. Enthralled, allured, captivated, astounded, captured -- I am all these and I recommend you read this book and surrender yourself to whatever or whoever you meet at the edge. I have chosen to fling myself over the edge into the abyss with the hope that something or Someone will snatch me back, put me on the edge again where I can shout or even scream poetry into the wind!

I JUST LOVE IT!

ok...i tell u why i love this book...or let's say audio cassettes.well,when i started listening to these cassettes i got this weird feeling of being invloved in every single story they said, starting imagining the poets themselves. the way the music was displayed and the characters introduced..i was just overwhelmed.maybe i am not an expert in english poetry but i enjoyed this collection BIG TIME!!

Poetry alive & breathing

The companion book to Moyers' PBS series "The Power of the Word" and "The Language of Life," which brought to a national audience the vigorous living poetry of a number of contemporary poets from the U.S. and abroad. Poetry is not the dead old thing critics like Harold Bloom and Helen Vendler would have us believe it is: this series, and this book, puts it into the ears and mouths of the people, to our betterment.

A Must-Have! Poets share their work & discuss it with Moyers

*The Language of Life: A Festival of Poets* with Bill Moyers was shown on Public Television and captivated a wide audience. When I watched it, I was thrilled! Bill Moyers has, as usual, done an incredible job, and I love the fact that he has helped to bring the magic of poetry to more people. I loved the PBS documentary so much that I purchased a copy of both the book and the audio-book... *The Language of Life* is so good, so entertaining, so interesting, that you'll want to experience it many times. You'll discover something new each time. I'm a poet, so this book was ideal... I can read the poems (or hear them, in the poet's own words, if via the audio book) and then get an in-depth look at the poem by listening in on Moyers as he conducts an interview. Actually, it's more like a chat with old friends in a way, because Moyers' style is so friendly. He asks good questions, really getting to the meat of the matter, and it's clear that the Festival's poets feel comfortable with him. I felt as though I was there sitting with them, having a cup of tea. Writing is a solitary profession, but I was reminded that we writers all deal with the same core issues. And it's good to hear how others find their inspiration, their space, etc. This book is also great because even people who don't read poetry will enjoy it... in fact, might realize they love poetry. Friends of mine who thought of poetry as something stuffy that really pale people read while sitting in dusty attics (wearing black, of course)ended up liking it a lot. Moyers and the poets he meets show the reader that poetry is just another form of human expression... one that is truly the language of life.

A good roapmap to current poets

With Moyer's ability to ask the right questions, he extracts some wonderful interveiws from these poets about their lives and their work. It is obvious that Moyers knows their work, and most of the poets chronicled show their appreciation by granting some candid interviews. I was particularly moved by Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon's sections. (They were husband and wife poets, until Jane Kenyon passed away recently.) It was a treat to read about poets whose work with I was unfamiliar, such as Lucille Clifton. I also enjoyed learning about Rumi, a thirteenth century mystic whose work is translated and performed by Coleman Barks A good read if you want to learn more about the soul of a poet, or if you just want to brush up on your modern poetry.