Stories I Ain't Told Nobody Yet: Selections from the People Pieces

by Jo Carson

Book Overview

Poems that distill stories from the experiences of the mountain people of eastern Tennessee. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1559360275
• ISBN13: 9781559360272
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

My favorite

This has been my favorite book of poems ever since I heard the author read from it, 18 years ago. I keep giving away my own treasured copy and buying another.

Easy to overlook the complexity of these "simple" poems

Don't dismiss the complexity of these "simple" poems too early. Jo Carson's STORIES I AIN'T TOLD NOBODY YET gives voice to an often misunderstood culture, and when we listen to this voice, we learn that economic differences are overshadowed by similarities of dreams, wants, and concerns. Carson's collection of poems might be described as an oral history in verse. These aren't the rhyming poems of greetings cards or the poised verse of classic poetry anthology. These are poems in the style of someone talking to you, or, perhaps even more powerfully, the style of overhearing others in a candid conversation. (Carson gives credit to overhearing many of these dialogues.) The result is simple language addressing complex themes. Loosely divided into main sections like Family and Work, the poems center on rural peoples' perspectives. Sure, economic hardship is a common theme, but more universal themes of family, responsibility, and dignity are also addressed. Yes, the simple language of the poems allows for a quick read. But a reader would be wise to give the collection a second read. And a third. And so on. There are layers to these simple dialogues, and even lessons to be learned. Literature can sometimes bridge the gap of misunderstanding between groups, cultures, etc. Although simple in language, this is literature that can do just that.