Craft A Memoir

"With horror, I learned from Tony Trigilio's Craft: A Memoir that Audubon shot and killed all the birds he'd depicted in his paintings! I don't know if I can forgive Trigilio for that bit of too-much-information, even though he says he was horrified, too. But I highlight that element that obnoxiously lingers like Disney's "It's A Small World" tune because it's a detail that's relevant for one of the most important ways to be a good poet: reading widely. (And Trigilio passed on the Audubon revelation from his own reading habits.) There are many "craft" lessons for this art of poetry which contains many paths. Trigilio's way includes knowing not only what one is supposed to know but also what he calls "arcane." By delivering his ideas convincingly, and with his own life as proof, he makes this book a worthwhile read. -Eileen R. Tabios"--