From Publishers Weekly
In 1986, Kooser (U.S. poet laureate 2004–2006) started a tradition. He sent a Valentine’s Day poem on a postcard to 50 women. Over the past 30 years, he’s sent his annual poem to an increasing number of women (in 2007 there were 2,600 recipients). This collection presents all the postcard poems plus one more, dedicated to Kooser’s wife, Kathleen. Accompanied by drawings by Robert Hanna, each poem is a unique snapshot of love. The poet says it best himself: all my life, I have wanted nothing so much as the love of women. (Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Even the best things come to an end, and a better end than this little book to Kooser’s 21-year practice of sending a Valentine’s Day poem to, first, 50 female friends and, eventually, all the women who asked for it (some 2,600 at last count) is hard to imagine. He wrote for fun, he says, as well [Read More...]
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One Comment
“Valentines” is not the typical Valentine’s Day sentimental poetry. The poems are ‘homespun’ and reflect the history of the prairie. Each poem is illustrated by line drawings of Robert Hanna. Mr. Kooser wrote and sent one poem each year on postcards to women friends for 21 years. This book is a compilation of them. Each poem touched me in a different way. Marvelous.