Say Uncle: Poems

Book Description

Filled with wry logic and a magical, unpredictable musicality, Kay Ryan's poems continue to generate excitement with their frequent appearances in The New Yorker and other leading periodicals. Say Uncle, Ryan's fifth collection, is filled with the same hidden connections, the same slyness and almost gleeful detachment that has delighted readers of her earlier books. Compact, searching, and oddly beautiful, these poems, in the words of Dana Gioia, "take the shape of an idea clarifying itself." "A poetry collection that marries wit and wisdom more brilliantly than any I know.... Poetry as statement and aphorism is rarely heartbreaking, but reading these poems I find myself continually ambushed by a fundamental sorrow, one that hides behind a surface that interweaves sound and sense in immaculately interesting ways." -- Jane Hirshfield, Common Boundary; "The first thing you notice about her poems is an elbow-to-the-ribs playfulness." -- Patricia Holt, San Francisco Chronicle.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding collection..........2007-02-07

This was the first book of Kay Ryan's poetry I ever read, and I couldn't put it down... and even once finished, I'm still picking it up to read over and soak up again.

Ryan's best to date........2004-11-25

Between the subtle rhyme, brevity, and insight, this is by far my favorite of Kay Ryan's books. Blandeur (included in this volume) has been included in literature textbooks already. This is definitely a book to own (especially at under $10), read, and re-read. Great for killing time between class, elevators, busrides, car rides, flights... So yeah, buy it, and even if it's not your cup of tea, it's still less than a meal at Denny's (with tip at least.)

"uncle!".......2004-06-09

lyrics of moral turpitude and musical agility (the brief lines of Kay Ryan maintain their integrity), and therein lies their beauty.

Not blown away.......2003-08-04

I bought this book after reading two 5 star reviews. I am amazed that we read the same book. These poems are cute and witty, sometimes provocative (e.g. "Herring" and "Failure 2") but they never left me breathless. Perhaps my standards are too high. Kay Ryan's gift is her ability to write tight short poems that always contain subtle rhyme schemes. However, she rarely has anything important to say and her poems have no emotional power. Again, perhaps my standards are too high. Or maybe I have just been spoiled by the works of poets like Lucille Clifton and Joy Harjo. I recommend this book for large libraries only. If you looking for poetry that is fresh, emotional powerful, and relevant to the everyday world that we live in, try anything by Clifton, Harjo, E. Ethelbert Miller and Diane Lockward.

Exquisite.......2001-04-17

Transparent, yet fathomless as a crystal ball, these poems continue to speak after countless readings, not yet yielding up their secrets. Incredibly rich, they go down oh-so-easy, a verbal tiramisu. Small, yet amazingly dense, like gold nuggets. Impeccable logic, impeccable use of language. Gorgeous, and mysterious. Moving and inspiring. Kay Ryan delivers on William Carlos Williams' famous lines: It is difficult/to get the news from poems/yet men die every day/for lack/of what is found there.

Average customer rating:

Hunkle Ted da Fireman

My Uncle Is a Hunkle, Says Clarice Bean
Lauren Child
Manufacturer: Orchard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1841216240

Customer Reviews:

Hunkle Ted da Fireman.......2005-02-10

My son & I grabbed this book from the library shelves expecting Lola & Charlie, of "I will Never not ever Never eat a tomato".

'My Uncle is a Hunkle' is targeted at an older group than the Lola books, with more intricate plot lines and convoluted happenings.

Or perhaps Lauren Child has distilled her writing since the Clarice Bean books.

Amusing, and some of the sentences constructions were fun to rattle off, but a lot more to read, without the clean illustrative lines.

Plot as follows:
Large family with many children of varying ages, mother is called away, dad is called away, desperate mother must rely on unruly (fireman) brother to babysit.

Kids have wacky and crazy time, which culminates in the debacle to which mother arrives home to.
Clarice Bean & fireman get on 'like a house on fire'.

The text is decorative with lots of spirals and swirls, and collage used througout the pages to illustrate backgrounds, balls and guinea pigs.

Recommended for ages 4-5 or at any point where you don't need to read it to them. I had great difficulty deciding on 3 or 4 stars, eventually granting 4, as it not a BAD book, just not as memorable as other by this author.

For ages 3-5, "I will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato" by Lauren Child highly recommended
kotori - ojadis@yahoo.com

Average customer rating:

excellent read
I DISSENT! (FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY)
you'll laugh, you'll cry
I laughed, I cried, and I laughed again.
First class author!

Say Uncle: A Novel
Eric Shaw Quinn
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Changing Tides

ASIN: 0452271665

Customer Reviews:

excellent read.......2003-12-08

I absolutely loved this book. Being a book cynic, it's rare for a modern work of fiction to move me - but this one made me laugh and cry and come away feeling good that there are still some writers out there that can touch me. Uncle Michael was a hoot!

I DISSENT! (FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY).......2003-04-17

I disagree with the review (above) in Publishers Weekly.

Of course, liking or disliking a writer's work is mostly subjective...and, more often than not, affected by the mood the reader is experiencing at the time.

I liked this book. I was moved by it. I laughed until the tears came. I like the author. He has a wonderful sense of what is valuable and fine in family relationships. His perspective on things that are important and things that are foolish or plain stupid is obvious -- as is the care he exercise not to put people down in a way that is mean.

This book is not perfect. It starts slowly, and ends too quickly. But somewhere between the first few pages and last few pages it becomes impossible to put it down.

Yes, the comparison with Patrick Dennis ("Auntie Mame")is obvious (it also reminds me of "Breakfast with Scot" by Michael Downing -- another of my favorite novels). Except for one incident (the elevator sequence), I think Quinn succeeds hilariously. But he also brings more to this story than Dennis -- great warmth and humanity.

All in all, a marvelous first novel. I'm looking forward to the next one!

you'll laugh, you'll cry.......2002-07-19

I loved this book. it is well written, and includes very moving plot themes. i laughed outloud at several points, and at others was left wishing for some fast acting prozac. i just wish i could find other books by this talented writer. in the meantime, i suggest christian mclaughlin.

I laughed, I cried, and I laughed again........2001-11-18

This is a book I could not put down. It touched me on so many levels. As a gay parent myself, it was wonderful to read the story of another gay man who became an accidental parent.

The author was quite clever in using three different points of view in the story. The book started out third person, describing the life of Michael and his legal battle to adopt his nephew. The second part of the book was told from the nephew Scott, and it was wonderful to see the world through his eyes. The third part was in Michael's voice, and that is where I cried again.

First class author!.......2000-09-08

Eric Shaw Quinn is an excellent writer! Loved the book. Highly recommend this. Central character is independent, loving, pure as is the author's writing.

Say Uncle (Halo Hattie's Boarding House , No 1)

Average customer rating:

Utterly delightful!!!
Hattie to the Rescue!

Say Uncle (Halo Hattie's Boarding House , No 1)
Suzy Pizzuti
Manufacturer: WaterBrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1578560446
Release Date: 1998-06-01

Book Description

Book One of Halo Hattie's Boarding House Series. Busy, executive-type Sean Flannigan hadn't planned on taking time off from work. But the unexpected break comes just in time for him to watch his nine-month-old niece, Carly Ann, during his sister's two-week business trip.

The only glitch is: Sean has no idea how to care for a baby. Neither, to his chagrin, does his beautiful new neighbor: the equally busy, female-executive-type Julia Evans--though, ultimately, the two have a lot of fun trying to figure out which end to diaper and which end to feed. But what will happen when it's time to give the baby back? Can Sean and Julia go back to the "rat race" and life as usual? Or are their hearts ready to Say Uncle... and Aunt?

Customer Reviews:

Utterly delightful!!!.......1999-05-01

Ms. Pizutti combines her trademark zany humor and her love for the Lord in a romance that is inspirationally motivating as well as a delightful read. Prayer warrior Hattie is hilarious! Characters are welldrawn and lovable. This is a wonderful book and I would highly recommend this--as well as Suzy's other books--to any woman who wants a little dose of laughter and inspiration.

Hattie to the Rescue!.......1999-02-15

This is a humorous, heart-warming romance about two hard working but lonely all-business types called Sean and Julia who end up at the same boarding house. Their lovable--and slightly deaf--landlady is the type whose muddled but sincere prayers always get answered, throwing the lives of her young tenants into hilarious confusion. Add Sean's baby niece to the mix and you have a surefire recipe for one zany disaster after another. This one will give you lots of laughs--and maybe even a few tears--as, along with Sean and Julia, you are reminded what life and love are really all about

Uncle Willy's Tickles: A Child's Right to Say No

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Uncle Willy's Tickles: A Child's Right to Say No
Marcie Aboff
Manufacturer: Magination Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1557989990

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Say Uncle : A Sydney Sloane Mystery
Randye Lordon
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380791676

Book Description

SAY UNCLE. . .

Manhattan p.i. Sydney Sloane is known for solving even the toughest of cases. But when her uncle's children come to her with a matter involving their father, Sydney quickly finds herself enmeshed in an ever-tightening web of family ties.

BUT NEVER SAY "DID!"

Uncle Mitch and Sydney have been estranged for more than a decade because of his inability to accept her sexuality. Facing charges of arson and murder, Mitch, who stands accused of torching his ex-partner's new enterprise and killing a cleaning lady, has no other recourse but to turn to his niece for help. Convinced of his innocence, Sydney investigates only to find her uncle has not been forthcoming with the whole truth. From the isolated warehouse districts of Queens to the sleazier regions of the Lower East Side, Sydney interrogates the oddest assortment of suspects New York has to offer--one whom may just off her.

Average customer rating:

A River Dream by The Great ANJ (Aaron J)

One of my favorite books

A River Dream by Allen Say

A River Dream
Allen Say
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Bedtime & Dreaming | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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The Lost Lake (Houghton Mifflin Sandpiper Books)

The Bicycle Man (Sandpiper)

Stranger in the Mirror

Under the Cherry Blossom Tree: An Old Japanese Tale

Allison Allison

ASIN: 0395482941

Book Description

A little boy takes a fantasy trip up the river by his house to fly-fish with his uncle.

Customer Reviews:

A River Dream by The Great ANJ (Aaron J).......2007-03-21

Set the hook! Oh sorry, I did not see you there. That is one big rainbow trout! A River Dream begins with a boy name Mark who is sick in bed and cannot go outside. His Uncle Scott sends him a fly fishing box with all his best flies in it. When he opens it, all the flies fly out and head out the window. I love this book because I love to go fly fishing with my dad. I would think the theme is sometimes dreams can feel like real life. Well that's all folks and if you like to fly fish and like happy endings, I recommend this book. Hey are you going to keep the trout? No, I like to leave the river the way it was. by The Great ANJ (Aaron J)

One of my favorite books.......2005-11-26

Mark, a boy who is ill, receives a small box of fishing flies from his uncle in the mail. The flies become mayflies that lure him out his city bedroom window into a mountain river landscape. He takes a boat up the river and sees his uncle, Scott. He teaches Mark lessons of fishing and life. The ethnicity of the boy and his uncle is not clear. It is a magical story showing an Asian American family just being normal people. The understated multicultural message is refreshing and the illustrations are dreamily, realistic looking watercolors. A River Dream is one of my favorite books. Karen Woodworth Roman, Librarian, East Asian Children's Books

A River Dream by Allen Say.......2000-10-18

This is a wonderful book for anyone with grandkids. It could only have been written by someone who enjoys the art and ethic of catch and release fishing. In this simple but eloquent story the author, Allen Say, has captured the magic of flyfishing for trout and the need to release your "catch" unharmed. With three grandsons of my own I know this book will be read many times to each of our boys.

What's With the Mutant in the Microscope: Stuff to Know When Science Says Your Uncle Is a Monkey

Average customer rating:

No sense.
You kookie Christians...
A great study resource about Creationism
a little confusing, but really good
Not even close to science.

What's With the Mutant in the Microscope: Stuff to Know When Science Says Your Uncle Is a Monkey
Kevin Johnson , and James R. White
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

They Say Your Uncle Was Fuzzy—Or Was He?

You've heard that the theory of evolution is a fact. The hot debates and gaping holes of Darwinian evolution rarely show up in science class. Instead you learn that along with Aunt Mabel and Cousin Verne, your family tree includes a swinging set of primates, some lunkheaded lizards, and even a singled-celled…well, cell. Talk about weird family reunions!

Most people choose biology over the Bible, science over Sunday school, goo over God. Got a good response? What's With the Mutant in the Microscope? romps through the solid scientific reasons to believe God made your world. You'll learn:

Why natural selection plus micro-mutations can't produce huge change Where science gets its "facts" Why evolution becomes a religion —and biggest of all—

How the real facts of life demonstrate intelligent design. You can't afford to ignore evolution's best arguments—or the counter-argument of God's awestriking handiwork. The award-winning team of biologist-apologist James White and bestselling youth author Kevin Johnson gives you the life-altering stuff you need to know when science says your uncle is a monkey.

Are you the product of dumb luck—Or God's Design?

Customer Reviews:

No sense. .......2005-09-06

This makes no sense.
What is more logical and reasonable: extremely slow, erratic changes in a gene line? Or an invisible, omniscient, omnipotent being who is secretly pulling the strings behind the scenes?
Which one sounds like the belief of a sane person, which of a paranoid person?
Why is there even the possibility that people can advance the argument of a Christian god behind nature?
I believe that an intellectual climate against science is the answer. Unfortunately, it isn't only the Christian right who is to blame. It is also the lefty postmodernists who, by their radical relativism and doubt of truth, have greatly weakened the claim of science as providing facts and truth.
The USA is the laughingstock of the world because of this kind of nonsense.

You kookie Christians..........2004-11-26

I liked you people better back when you would just come out and torture scientists till they recanted or accepted death at the fiery stake. At least back then everybody knew where everybody else was standing. "And yet it moves."

A great study resource about Creationism.......2003-04-04

"What's with the Mutant in the Microscope?" by Kevin Johnson and James White is a small book with an obvious creationist stand point on evolution. The authors strive to give the reader that 'one reason' to think humans were created by God. While attempting to explain the DNA in a simplistic form, the use of humor keeps it light and not too scietific.
I would say that this book was written towards a teen audience. It seems that the style and layout is directed to the youth who can't stay scietific for too long and in one sitting.
I loved this book! Unlike some books, this one really felt complete at the end. There were no loose ends, and I felt like I truly knew and understood what they discussed. I would most certainly reccomend this book to a teen who feels unstable with the creationism beliefs. It is a great resource for strengtening your knowledge on this side of the evolution issue.

a little confusing, but really good.......2002-01-26

This is a really good book - it explains HOW evolution is not possible, and doesn't say it just isn't possible with no scientific backing. So many people blindly follow evolution, saying that it goes along with scientific studies, but haven't explored it as an impossibility. Isn't that how you should go about an "experiment"? You should find all the possible ways that it is untrue, and try to prove your hypothesis false, NOT TRUE! The lame excuse that it doesn't accurately follow science is just defending something you've never really explored. Other than that, the book is a little confusing; the author's move at a quick pace, but they do include study questions to review what you've learned. They attempt to use "cool" language, but it only makes the authors look like they're trying to fit in. It is just a small annoyance, though. This book cannot be passed up!

Not even close to science........2001-10-31

This book is written by people ignorant of science and evolution for people with a blind bias against science. Science is a very specific process of hypothesis and testing. The Theory of Evoluion adheres to this process rigidly while the "theory" (really myth) of creationism does not in any way follow the scientific process. As a scientist myself I can tell you that Evolution is well understood even to some degree at the molecular level. Scientists have even observed some examples of evolution in action and the Theory of Evolution is as solidly tested a theory as almost any other in science. The same concepts that tell us Evolution is true are the same concepts that give us most of our biotechnology advancements. This book ignores the scientific process and revels in its own ignorance. Exposing a child to this pack of lies is irresponsible.

The man who wouldn't say "uncle" (Accent On Life Bible Curriculum)

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The man who wouldn't say "uncle" (Accent On Life Bible Curriculum)
William Barrick
Manufacturer: Accent On Life Bible Curriculum, a division of B/P Publications, Inc. ;
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Average customer rating:

Heart Warming
Amazing, Outstanding, Genius

NEVER SAY UNCLE
EMILIO PALETTA
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1418418293

Customer Reviews:

Heart Warming.......2004-07-19

This was a heart-warming and funny story of family and aging. I especially like the way the Italian heritage is discussed throughout the book. My favorite chapter(s) are "Nightmares for Nincompoops" and "Showtime at Dumpsters" and "Night School for Immigrants." If you want a good belly-laugh, read this book!

Amazing, Outstanding, Genius.......2004-07-15

Truly Amazing how Mr. Paletta captured the days of yor. The similarities to my own past brought a tear to my eye.

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