Original Fire: Selected and New Poems

by Louise Erdrich

Book Overview

"These molten poems radiate with the ferocity of desire, and in them Erdrich does not spin verse so much as tell tales--of betrayal and revenge, of hunting and being hunted." --Minneapolis Star Tribune

A passionate book of poetry from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louise Erdrich.

In this important collection, Erdrich has selected the best poems from her two previous books of poetry, Jacklight and Baptism...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0066209862
• ISBN13: 9780066209869
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Magnificent, Soul-Stirring Poetry

I've read and enjoyed all of Erdrich's fiction and was eager to experience her poetry when I got this book. I was not disappointed in the least. Her poems are rich, full of life, sparkling chunks of wisdom from a woman's life. My favorite poem was "Advice to Myself" in the chapter entitled "Original Fire". She captures the ephemeral nature of life so beautifully and eloquently. If you only purchase one book of poetry this year, make it this one!!

Erdrich's third volume of poetry

Original Fire is Louise Erdrich's third volume of poetry to be published. She is best known as an award winning novelist (Love Medicine, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse), but is also an accomplished poet. This collection is not a completely original volume, however. It takes quite a few poems from her previous two volumes (Jacklight, Baptism of Desire) as well as some poems that have never before been published. I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but since Louise Erdrich is my favorite author I'm willing to read the book. I enjoyed the poetry, but it didn't inspire me or speak to me or any of the other things that poetry is supposed to do. The best section of the book was the prose poems from Jacklight (I believe). The stories were interesting, funny, and made me want to keep reading. I'm not as knowledgeable about poetry as I am about other forms of literature, so I find it difficult to say it is good or bad poetry, but I would suggest that it is good. I enjoyed reading this collection, but I do feel that it is a less work compared to her novels.