The House on Boulevard St.: New and Selected Poems

At the beginning of each poem, I wondered the purpose of the prose. It seemed to go nowhere, and it seemed like I was listening to an incoherent senile person. But at the end of each poem, the situations come together beautifully and every time, Kirby proves that instances that seem quite unrelated are actually deeply interconnected as part of the human experience.

This is my favorite book of poetry because it is literate, funny, and most important of all, accessible. In general, I'm not a fan of poetry. But Kirby makes it addicting and enjoyable and even sometimes laugh out loud funny. Worth every penny. Highly recommended.

I am not familiar with David Kirby's other works but I soon will be - nor have I encountered his style of writing that blends narrative story telling with poetic sensibilities. I feel as if I have discovered a new art form and a way of seeing the world that is colored with insight and whimsy - My Dead Dad is a great example: child like imagination with grown-up introspection. Thanks David Kirby!

Short and sweet this time--this is a gasser. Kirby has long been a literary favorite, but this is the collection that puts him on the map with Dunn, Collins, and Hirschfield. Normally, I try not to judge poetry collections by their awards, but in this case, the National Book Award should be a no-brainer (in fact, it has recently been nominated). If you love literary poetry that isn't short on soul, give this a run. If you hate poetry, this should be the first book you read--it might just come from the top ropes like Jimmy "Super-fly" Snooka, finish with a right cracking aesthetic elbow to the noggin.