Always a Reckoning and Other Poems

If one follows Samuel Taylor Coleridge's definition that prose is words in their best order and poetry is the best words in their best order, then Jimmy Carter acquits himself nicely as a poet. This volume would make for pleasant reading even if its author weren't a former president. Like other reviewers, I find my favorite piece is Carter's tribute to Rachel Clark. Another poem that touched me is about "Sport." Carter's poems are conversational, like visits I have with my neighbors about various topics, and thought-provoking, as those conversations often are. You go along with your day and realize you've just learned something remarkable--and you're glad to know it. I like Carter better for having read his poems. The Booklist review calls this "vanity publishing on a grand scale." That may be true, but most vanity publications don't stay in print for long. It's no accident that this has been selling since 1994.

Gave this book to my mother (86, early Altzheimers) for Valentine's Day. Always a difficult person for gift giving, she has thoroughly enjoyed picking up this sweet little book on a pretty regular basis, even if just to read a line or two. The book is printed in large, dark (easy to read) type and in the folksy, charming way of our ex-President. It's "down home" usage of words seems to strike a familiar chord for my mother and her 95 year old sister. First time I've seen them really show interest in a book in a long time. A wonderful gift for an elderly person and a precious treasure to those of us who haven't yet attained the age, but appreciate and honor the author.

Our world has more bad poetry than it has cigarettes. Poetry is either so recondite that it is no fun, or else it is so personal to the author that it is irrelevant to the reader. Carter's poems, though, attain profundity through simple exposition that is not overly personal. Carter, of course, is not a professional poet or anything like that. But I enjoyed his poems more than most of the mainstream poets I have read. This all confirms my theory that great artists are simply great people who do art.

I read Jimmy Carter's book of poetry, ALWAYS A RECKONING, with the simple expectation that the poems would be heartfelt and tell stories from his life in plain, down-to-Earth prose. I was stunned to find myself moved to tears with the very first poem, "Rachel," which was dedicated to the memory of the neighbor woman who cared for Jimmy after his folks were gone. In a few short pages, Jimmy had succeeded in describing what was so special about those days with Rachel, and how important she truly was in his young life.Other poems in ALWAYS A RECKONING are laugh-out-loud funny, such as, "Progress Does Not Always Come Easy," which describes the trials and tribulations Jimmy Carter underwent when he successfully passed his first legislation (ensuring that deceased citizens lose their voting rights), which turned out to be quite unpopular in every precinct with a cemetery!ALWAYS A RECKONING is a rare gem of a book that gives readers a sense of the inner beauty of Jimmy Carter's heart and soul.

I'm a mystery author with my first novel in its initial release and a government teacher in one of the most impoverished high schools in this country. I am also a great admirer of Jimmy Carter, and I firmly believe that he deserves the next Nobel Prize (okay not for literature--the Big One--THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.) ALWAYS A RECKONING is a book that I keep on my desk in my classroom. These poems are heartfelt and they reveal much about this humble man and his life in the South as the South began to change. I will often read selected works from this book when we cover the electoral process and civil rights. These poems are honest and well-written. And, on a personal level, whenever any mystey reader questions the reality of my private eye series lead (a former politician who writes poetry), I point them to this book by this GENTLEMAN who once occupied the Oval Office.