The book her devoted readers have been waiting for. At last, New York Times betselling author Kathleen Norris's first continuous narrative . . .a story of sex, drugs, and poetry. After spending her high school years in Hawaii, Kathleen Norris was woefully unprepared for Bennington College in the 1960s, with its culture of drugs, sex, and bohemianism. But it was also at Bennington that she discovered her great love of poetry, which carried her to New York City at a time when a new generation of poets was emerging and shaking up the establishment. Working at the Academy of American Poets for her beloved mentor, Elizabeth Kray, and hanging out at clubs with Andy Warhol's crowd at night, Norris found herself immersed in an exciting and emotionally turbulent new world. Her memoir of that time - of her friendships and encounters with poets, including Jim Carroll, Denise Levertov, Gerard Malanga, Erica Jong, James Merrill, Stanley Kunitz, and James Wright - is an inspiring tribute to poetry and a stunning evocation of time and place. Her tenuous balancing act on the bridge between naïve experimentation and indirection and the more focused responsibilities of adulthood, makes for a dramatic and illuminating account of coming-of-age at a tumultuous moment in our history. "Through three bestselling books published over the past six years, Kathleen Norris has captured [readers'] hearts and fed their souls." - Common Boundary
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"This is K. Norris' narrative of the beginnings of her life as a poet, of the 1960's in NYC, of the astringent effect of poetry on our souls. Names the names of modern poets whose work we ought not miss. " — Susan (4 out of 5 stars)
"This is K. Norris' narrative of the beginnings of her life as a poet, of the 1960's in NYC, of the astringent effect of poetry on our souls. Names the names of modern poets whose work we ought not miss. "
" A must read for anyone entering an MFA program for poetry or for anyone who would like to better understand how the politics of poetry evolved from a place of pure poetic intent. "
" Understanding Norris' spiritual journey is a trip to God's grace. Not reformed perhaps, but gracious nonetheless. A great fellow traveler with Lamott. "
" Part personal memoir and part tribute to her mentor, Elizabeth Kray, this book meanders in revealing aspects of Norris; young adult years, while also relating much about the American world of poets in the 1970s. There are some gems of thought here and some good book references. "
" Benington shared "
" Writer to writer, deeply confessional and...enjoyable. "
" So disappointing. Not about her years at Bennington at all. When I really need to get to sleep, I pull this out and read 2 pages and I'm out. "
" The title is misleading; this is really an account of Norris' years in New York, a who's who of poetry in the 1960's, and the rise of modern arts administration. "
" This is K. Norris' narrative of the beginnings of her life as a poet, of the 1960's in NYC, of the astringent effect of poetry on our souls. Names the names of modern poets whose work we ought not miss. "
" I really enjoyed this book. Her work with Elizabeth Kray was interesting. I love poetry and have spent a lot of time on Academy's website. I highly recommend it. "
" NOT about her time at Bennington, NOT really about being an innocent among the wilds, more about her mentor at the Academy of American Poets, Betty Kray. Which is fine, but it was NOT SOLD AS A BOOK ABOUT THAT. "
Kathleen Norris is the award-winning poet, writer, and author of the New York Times bestsellers The Cloister Walk, Amazing Grace, and Dakota: A Spiritual Geography. An oblate of Assumption Abbey, Norris divides her time between Hawaii and South Dakota.
Sandra Burr is an AudioFile Earphones Award–wining narrator. She has read more than one hundred books in her career, including the New York Times bestselling Cedar Cove romance series by Debbie Macomber.
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