Hey, Small Press! reviewed In the ice house, saying of it,

Kaplan’s first collection of poetry somehow straddles the fence of simple and rich. The poet captures the natural world, how the changing of seasons looks and feels, and how it affects the confines of society. The chill in the air, as Kaplan describes it, come out of the page. ‘Branches shiver in the music. / The ice cuts in the quick of things. / The frantic outside.’ It is a beautiful marvel of nature at its coldest, through ice storms and frozen gardens, while also subtly following the birds, perhaps the true protagonists of this collection, who ‘Rise before the sun, rise with / the sun, constantly.’ Kaplan attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop, is currently pursuing a PhD in literature and creative writing, edits and anthologizes numerous poetry anthologies, and has appeared in oodles of publications. Her poetry is radiant with a certain quiet wanderlust.

Shelf Awareness, the popular daily e-newsletter, recently ran a review of BLBS, the new short story collection from Brian Doyle:

"This is vintage Doyle, and it doesn't get much better. Shelf Talker: Twenty-five stories from the febrile imagination of Brian Doyle, unique and memorable."

You can read the full review here.

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Sara Dobie reviewed Blood Daughters for Shelf Awareness and was pleased to find "Blood Daughters is entertaining and well-written, with a vivacious heroine at the helm and action that doesn't stop. Villatoro has created a truly original lawwoman in Romilia Chacón; let's hope she's around for many books to come."

See the full review here

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In reading Imagine No Religion Kirkus Reviews appreciates that "reading Bonpanes memoir is like exploring a mini-history of liberal activism over the last 45 years."

Throughout the book, Bonpane (Civilization Is Possible, 2008, etc.) reflects on Christianity, America, and the gulf between the developed and developing world. Ordained as a priest in 1958, the author was soon at odds with the Catholic establishment and eventually struck out on his own, even marrying. He points out that he never left the Church and is still a priest, even if not in good standing with the ecclesiastical hierarchy. In the mid-'60s, Bonpane became involved in the violent atmosphere in Guatemala, the first of many connections to Central and Latin America throughout his life. He went on to become a visible member of the antiwar movement during Vietnam, while continuing an interest in other questions of foreign and domestic policy. After an unsuccessful run for Congress, Bonpane worked for the United Farm Workers with César Chávez. This was followed by heavy involvement with the Nicaraguan Revolution and leadership in the Office of the Americas. Reading Bonpane?s memoir is like exploring a mini-history of liberal activism over the last 45 years. From Kent State to Rodney King, Bonpane seemed to always have a connection to the flashpoints in modern American history. The author is not afraid to speak his mind or tip sacred cowse.g. As is the case of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the Central American Wars were pure and simple state terrorism on the part of our country. Despite a heavy emphasis on the story of his activism, Bonpane always comes back to issues of religion, addressing his belief in liberation theology and in a universalist, non-sectarian adherence to faith.

A fascinating read for students of modern American liberalism and foreign policy.

“An intriguing spin of poetry that touches on life and its surprises with clarity. Educated and well put, ‘In Confidence’ is a fine debut volume, very much recommended.”

Click here to read the entire review.

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In August 2011 The Midwest Book Review's Wisconsin Bookwatch wrote about John Barr's book of poems.

"The Hundred Fathom Curve is John Barr's exploration of Americana from the perspectives of the war veteran, where the question of humanity enters strongly into it."

—The Midwest Book Review

The entire review is can be viewed here.

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Poet Sasha West examines the language of Amy Randolph in Randolph's book Cold Angel of Mercy.

"Randolph's crisp, searing voice is evident in her facility with image."

—Sasha West

In the sixty-fourth volume of The Hudson Review, Peter Makuck praises William Trowbridge's book, Ship of Fool.

"William Trowbridge's Ship of Fool had me laughing out loud . . . . in these poems there is an underlying seriousness, if not a quarrel with God, set off by humor, however slapstick it might at first appear."

Peter Makuck

“My favorite poems here include the title poem about a talisman stone that emblemizes the omnipresence of past time, ‘Something Old,’ ‘Someone’s Father,’ the bitterly ironic ‘Fish to Fry,’ ‘Trucks and All,’ ‘Something,’ ‘Paid Vacation,’ the series of portraits called ‘Not Talking,’ and, most of all, ‘Let Me Find It.’ This latter poem is a prayer for inspiration, an invocation to the Muse, and such poems are traditionally placed at the beginnings of collections. That this poet places it last in the book underscores a steady modesty that runs all though Jim Peterson’s generous but darkly tinged work.”

Fred Chappell

“At first glance Jim Tilley’s In Confidence seems to consist of calm, graceful poems of upper middle class domesticity, but turkey vultures wait in the yard and many stories have unhappy endings. Instead the poems are about trying to maintain ‘this fragile equilibrium’ like a tightrope walker tip-toeing above a lion’s den. One sees the quiet elegance is all that keeps one from shouting, ‘Watch out!’ These are finely crafted poems in which readers will find bits and pieces of their own lives.” —Stephen Dobyns

"Driven and powerful writing in play format, Among the Goddesses is an excellent read and a first pick for literary fiction and poetry collections."

The full review can be seen here.

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Among the Goddesses is a bold experiment. Magical, mystical, musical, it charts a woman's journey that reverses the journey of Odysseus. What is it to be aided by goddesses, if we are women? What is it to face death, and to cause death? How do we become ourselves? Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Innanna may be the mileposts of any woman's journey toward freedom.

Alicia Ostriker, author of No Heaven and The Book of Seventy

In yet another variation of a vampire love story, Eidus (The War of the Rosens) introduces Lilith Zeremba, a college freshman who has declared herself, over and over, to be the last Jewish virgin. It's a moniker she is determined to keep, though the particulars–why it is so important to her, whether she intends to keep it for a lifetime, and if she's been tempted in the past–are unclear. Also unclear is the nature of the love triangle in which she quickly finds herself. In one corner is Colin Abel, who is handsome, confident, talented, and sexy. In the other corner is vampire Mr. Rock, who is elusive, moody, sometimes cruel, and twice her age (also, he might be shtupping her mother). Rock is cast as the obvious bad boy to Colin's good guy, but without any of the redeeming qualities that would ostensibly make it a fair fight. The book manages to be kitschy without being fun, silly without being funny, and drama-filled without being dramatic. In the sultry world of vampires, it's as exciting as an air kiss.

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Fiction is subject to viruses, and the vampire bug strikes the unlikeliest writers. Witty and incisive Eidus (The War of the Rosens, 2007) has always drawn our attention to the divide between fantasy and reality, emphasizing the inescapability of the latter. She now reverses direction.

New Yorker Lilith Zeremba dreams of success as a fashion designer, a pursuit her widowed Jewish feminist intellectual mother considers frivolous at best. Beth is so sensitive to gender inequality, she believes women should rid their sexual fantasies of any hint of submission. Her daughter goes one step further: Lilith is determined to remain a virgin until she establishes her career. But this is not the message she sends when she shows up for her first day of art school in sexy vampire attire. Her risqué outfit gets an A from her intimidating drawing instructor, a chiseled man-in-black with mirrored sunglasses and the wicked name Mr. Rock.

Eidus pours it on in this read-without-stopping tale of Jewish and feminist identities assaulted by raw sexual magnetism and otherworldly powers. A smart, vampy, campy send-up.

–Donna Seaman

In Jim Tilley's In Confidence, we see the internal and external workings of the world through a mature poets multifaceted lens.

Crafting his poems with formal care, Tilley always aims for the clearest vision one can imagine, whether looking through the intricacies of scientific reasoning, the perennial memories that accompany aging, or the unexpected, undeniable logic of the metaphor out there in the snow.

–Claudia Emerson