um. so i think that what doesn't really work for me is that these are pieces that are to be performed with music, and maybe in that venue i'd really like all of them. but as poems i found them too difficult, and not up my alley, i guess. i probably came into this expecting too much to like it, as well.

from the first section of the book i liked the sports/cultural one - "mesl (male english as a second language): in defense of bilingualism" - the best. the second section of the book helped bring the overall rating to 2 stars, because i thought it was stronger, even though it's also to be accompanied to music. (maybe this isn't a poetry book at all, but a lyrics book?) and in particular the piece "crack annie" is reason enough to read the book. ( )