The Star-Spangled Banner

Duhamel's book can get a little prosaic, and yet poems like Stranger are so true in their voice and emotion maybe everyone should just take a valium and enjoy this fabulous foray into pop culture and marriage and old age and abusive relationships and feminine protection (here and in Spain!). What unabashed fun--she gets to drop Molly Peacock's name and talk about Nick at Nite. Pick it up at the book store and read the touching "Stranger" and then read the wild "Another Poem Called 'Sphincter'" Who else is going to give you that kind of variety?

My favorite poems in the book are "Insomnio", "Art", "Star Spangled Banner", and all the rest. This poet is showing us what the coming century will bring to American poetry--an intelligent, self-assured voice that speaks to the heart and soul, to the Apollonian and Dionysian sides of human experience. Ms. Duhamel is ahead of her time.

Denise Duhamel has had a cult following here in NY for a few years now. I remember when she used to sell her chapbooks at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe for 50 cents. That was somewhere around the late-eighties. It's great to see that she has come so far and has such a class act book at this! SIU Press has chosen wisely. Duhamel's new poems are still full of that edginess and strangeness that once made her a staple of the Lower East Side writing community. I highly recommend this book. It's great that people far and wide are able to get their hands on her work. She's "made it" without selling out.

When I read this book I couldn't help respond to the mix of pop culture fluff and true grief and searching and what I would call "soul." Duhamel travels easily from the world of sitcoms (like in the poem "Nick at Night") to middle of the night terror (in the poem "Insomnio.") THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER is a book in which anything seem possible--Sharon Olds doing stand-up? Or maybe Rosie O'Donnell doing Shakespeare? A terrific book.

I had the pleasure of hearing this dynamo read her poetry in Memphis a couple of weeks ago. I have Kinky and Girl Soldier, two books I adore, but I have to say The Star-Spangled Banner is Duhamel's best work yet! Her voice has matured--she keeps her zany outlook, to be sure, but she tackles the really really big stuff in this book. "Sex with a Famous Poet" is the most hysterical poem I've ever read! Don't be fooled by the title--you don't have to stand up when you read this book. Curl up on your sofa. And don't forget your hankie. Not all of the poems in this one are funny.