Review of "Ibbetson Street" 20

Review of “Ibbetson Street 21” in the Small Press Review / March-April 2007 http://ibbetsonpress.com Ibbetson Street Press 25 School St. Somerville, Mass. 02143

R. Kimm


Ibbetson Street has finally reached its 20th issue mark. About 41 pages, mostly poetry… Surprisingly firm, supple poems. Heavy instantaneous dose of…infused with nature. Willing to leap beyond what has already happened, to, the Original.

From Jean Keskulla’s “Reading Russian Folktales on a Flight to Florida” (p.7)


The lovers seated in front of
us nibble
each other’s ears, lips,
eyelids, I think
they are two girls until one
turns,
revealing a stubby chin, a
husky
adolescent voice. They alone
are not weary.

Across the aisle a girl brushes
her long
lustrous hair over and over;
even her round
white arm seems to gleam
with each stroke.
I think I know what it's like
to be Baba Yaga,
the witch, eager to feast on
the young.

A.K. Allin’s poem, “central park Jan. 2005,” is prefaced with this quote from Tim Blue (?) speaking about Jean Genet (?)

Pre-Islamic theology of vi-
sionary space sees geography
as event rather than thing.
The one who lives within it
wanders through something
that has happened.

Esp. righteous poems by Ruth Sabath Rosenthal (“For Want of Red”) and Sue Budin (“Wanting’)

Plus a pro-forma “dueling essay” on “gender equity” in poetry published c. 1950-2006 by Charles Ries and Ellaraine Lockie.


To order a copy of Ibbetson Street send 7 dollares to Ibbetson Street 25 School St. Somerville, Mass. 02143