A Night Without Armor : Poems by Jewel
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Book Reviews of A Night Without Armor : Poems
Book Review: Love & Loss
Summary: 5 Stars
We are the living
and the living
must love the world
~Jewel
A Night Without Armor is an intricately crafted collection of honest expression and spontaneous revelation. Jewel Kilcher is not only a singer and songwriter, she is a truly gifted poet. Her love for the poems of Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas, Rumi, Yeats and Pablo Neruda flows through her poems in a mingling of mysterious longings and vision.
I spent an entire afternoon reading "a night without armor" and Jewel's intuitive understanding of life and descriptions of loneliness in the midst of popularity left me in a state of extended contemplation about beautiful moments and the cravings of the soul.
Jewel paints unforgettable scenes in vivid imagery. In "Communion" she shows a deep understanding of intimacy and her artistic descriptions capture environments in sensual words that slip over the pages in beautiful streams of inspired imaginings.
I have cast my heart
like a purpled fruit
toward the violent earth,
far from the Heaven
of your arms
Her words will at times take you by surprise and I found myself retracing my steps to understand the unique poetic forms and deeper meanings woven within complexity. I found myself reading "Wild Horse" three times before I could turn the page. "Still Life" and "Lost" are also equally interesting in form.
"Gold Fish" was a sweet innocent and playful surprise and her witty interpretation of life in Spivey Leaks made me laugh. "You Are Not" is a revealing look at belief that sharply contrasts with action.
Many of Jewel's poems are saturated in deep heart longing and many are resting in delicate moments of peaceful childhood memories from Alaska. There is a profound poem about her brother Shane and many poems about her childhood and family life in Alaska. "The Slow Migration of Glaciers" is a love poem to Alaska and explores Jewel's longings for home.
Struggling to hold back
the dawn
open-hearted lovers
cling to the sweet fruits
of last-minute kisses
so eager
to lose themselves
in the honey-thick gravity
of love so new
Jewel's love poems are unique and she delves into dreams, experience, loss, passion, trust, betrayal, fear, disappointment, uncertainty, longing, infatuation and kisses.
These poems are alive with emotion; they capture the beauty of Jewel's soul and make the world feel a little less lonely.
~The Rebecca Review
Book Review: A comparison seen
Summary: 5 Stars
Hi all. It was in 1966 or 67 that E. Collins introduced me to Trout Fishing in America... or did I introduce it to him? Too long ago.. just can't remember. I do remember that it was wonderful to read, intelligent and vastly different than anything I'd read before. You cannot (well, you can if you really want to) look for symbols to "decode" Brautigan, although, at first I tried to as well.Along about the time the Grateful Dead released American Beauty/Reality I imagined that "Trout Fishing in America" was cryptic for awareness of the underlying and hidden truth in the living experience of the world around us.
As more books were published (what joyous discoveries at the bookstore) I realized that Brautigan really used words to *paint* analogs of how something made him feel, and he did so with great economy and genius... he made me feel these things too. Collins would say I rant on too long, and he's right. R. B. was a delightful and gifted communicator. I can read his words afresh each time, and still find images and engendered concepts which had not occurred to me at earlier readings. Either I'm slow, or he's timeless.
Something I haven't seen mentioned here... another author who writes "Brautiganisms". I think I have found within the pages of 'a night without armor' Poems by Jewel - ISBN 0-06-107362-8 (paperback) Of course Jewel was born well before Richard died or I would be wondering... anyway have a leaf through next time you're in the bookstore.
Anyway, for me, Brautigan paints emotional pictures that speak to me on all levels, and right from the first reading he made me aware of levels within myself I was hardly aware of before I read him.
Boo Forever
Spinning like a ghost
on the bottom of a
top,
I'm haunted by all
the space that I
will live without
you.
(The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster)
...later Folks. Steve Scott.
Book Review: The Rekindling of my Faith
Summary: 5 Stars
I stumbled upon this book in a Good Will when I was trying to find a tie to match my best flannels, I knew it was a sign from the God I had long since written off. It took me until the third read to realize her clever use of "night" instead of "knight" in the title, which is when I knew that I had found a work of true genius.
I went directly home, made some bowls of Kraft Easy Mac and spent hours which seemed like a lifetime pouring over the words of this lost soul. Her constant use of hand imagery made me realize that I too had hands, which maybe, just maybe, were meant for more than just making instant macaroni dishes. When she described the sausages shivering from a gypsy woman's pockets, I was finally able to cry over the loss of my father some three years ago.
I was completely engrossed in this fountain of words and honesty that I canceled all my appointments for the week, figuring that my friends at the shuffleboard hall would understand and that Steve, the seventeen year old lacrosse player I work with at Olive Garden could cover all of my shifts. I read this book every minute of every day for a week, and on the seventh day I rested.
My body was wrought with emotion, my eyes could cry no more. I had a new faith in the world around me, and I was bursting with the need to share it. I was confident enough now to try out for the actual shuffleboard team, and in tryouts, I scored higher than even some of the captains!
One of the recruits offered me a spot on the team saying that I was a real "diamond in the rough."
"No," I replied. "I am a jewel in the rough."
5 stars.
Book Review: A Jewel in the Rough
Summary: 5 Stars
Finally, a poet from the North Country (as you know, I am Canadian) who speaks to the soul, as well as to the mind and brain. I've known Jewel since she was living in her car, before that even, before she had a snaggle tooth. All I've got to say is, I have one hand in my pocket, and the other applauding for "A Night Without Armour." I haven't read such a powerful peace of poetry since Tupac's "The Rose That Grew From Concrete?" Isn't that ironic? Well, actually, no. It isn't. Jewel's poems are the feminine breeze that this burning world needs to cool off. I'm head over feet for Jewel's line breaks. They are really good. I think she is better than Shakespeare. Not since Michael Madsen's "Burning in Paradise" has a cross-genre artist had such an impact on the scene. This sexy young acoustic wonder is headed for the stars. This Jewel shines bright. "A Night Without Armour" is like rayeeane on your wedding day, except, you want your dress to get wet. Is that ironic? Yes. Is Jewel's "A Night Without Armour?" No. It is a serious peace of artwork. Take it from me, Alanis, a Canadian who's been known to dabble in a little poetry herself, that Jewel is the real deal when it comes to poetry. I'd give this two thumbs up, but one thumb is in my pocket and the other is hailing a taxi cab.
PS. Buy my last album. It ain't sellin so well.
Peace out.
Love,
Ironically,
ALan(t)is. (there's some poetry there? did you see it? ironically?)
All done.
Book Review: I'm not trying to defend...
Summary: 5 Stars
but I thought this book was absolutely awesome, beautiful,unique, and inspiring. After reading some of these harsh reviews I had to write this. This is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. Jewel is simplistic, honest, innocent, pure, but most importantly I think, she talks about what matters... What life is about, what we forget in our every day hustle and bustle. Jewel reminds me of the important stuff: love, spirit, freedom, happiness, family... the earth and nature, not shopping malls and offices. Personally, I like to be reminded of this. I'm not a huge fan that's here to defend her, I like her music,but I loved her book much more. I do not believe she was published because of her stardom, but because she is a good writer. I 've read Rumi, Maya Angelou, Pablo Neruda, Whitman, Kerouac, anything I could get my hands on, and this is one book I will not part with.Yes, she writes in free verse, and yes, she is sincere and simple, but what is wrong with that? She has great imagery, ideas, thoughts, insights, and feelings that inspired and enlightened me. I know I must sound like a fanatic, but you folks really have'nt a clue. Get some depth. If you are a poetry fan I urge you to buy this book. I really think you will enjoy it.