Actual Air

Actual Air
by David Berman

Actual Air
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Book Summary Information

Author: David Berman
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1999-07
ISBN: 1890447048
Number of pages: 93
Publisher: Grove Press, Open City Books

Book Reviews of Actual Air

Book Review: Hey, musicians really can write!
Summary: 5 Stars

(I figured I'd put this at the top so people would catch this -- Berman announced a nice while ago that he has another book of poetry/prose on the way currently titled "Richard Simmons 1950-?")

I found Actual Air through David Berman's band Silver Jews, and since then I think I enjoy his writing even more than his music (which is hard to imagine). Berman manages to keep a cool slice of wit while not taking it too far, has a nice regard for the strangeness in the world around him, and is probably the best "Americana" poet I've ever encountered. A few poems fumble in a few spots with overly awkward language (which really just seems like slightly more hurried diction), but otherwise this is a very good first release for a poet. I forgot we still had those these days -- clever poets.

Summary of Actual Air

David Berman reinvents the overlooked and seemingly ordinary details of everyday life--from the suitcase of a departing girlfriend to a baseboard electrical outlet. His poems chart a course through his own highly original American dreamscape in language that is fresh, accessible, and remarkably precise. This debut collection has received extraordinary acclaim from readers and reviewers alike and is quickly becoming a cult classic. As Pulitzer Prize-winning poet James Tate said, "These poems are beautiful, strange, intelligent, and funny. . . . It's a book for everyone."

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