Professor crafts rich poetry book
Julia Perch
Issue date: 10/9/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Lynn Levin, Drexel University adjunct associate professor in the Department of English and Philosophy, has released her third collection of poetry, "Fair Creatures of an Hour." The book, along with her first two collections-"A Few Questions about Paradise" (2000) and "Imaginarium," (2005)-was published by Loonfeather Press.
Dividing her time between Drexel's campus and our Ivy League neighbor, Levin is currently teaching a Creative Writing course at the University of Pennsylvania. "Imaginarium" was a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Book of the Year Award, and Loonfeather Press has nominated Fair Creatures of an Hour for the Pulitzer Prize. Levin's poems and translations have been published in numerous acclaimed literary magazines, Levin has been nominated for eight Pushcart Prizes and is a Bucks County, Pennsylvania Poet Laureate. With such prestigious accomplishments, I opened my copy of "Fair Creatures of an Hour," a sunset-colored book showcasing a galloping clear toy horse, with high expectations. Delightedly, I was not disappointed.
Levin's poetry collection is divided into four sections, with several noteworthy themes circulating throughout. Levin discusses longing and heartache, hope and desperation, nostalgia and friendship, philosophy and religion, and life experiences and reflections with appropriate amounts of humility, remorse, curiosity, and sage wisdom and perspective. She evokes a multitude of emotions from the reader through her endlessly clever use of imagery, language, and metaphor. Touches of wit and brilliant observations are interwoven throughout the collection, creating a truly memorable and innovative masterpiece.
Levin's story-telling abilities and her remarkable talent for manipulating the English language are readily on display in "Little Red Telegram," an epic five-page recollection of famous thoroughbred Smarty Jones, a local hero shadowed by a grim history but who had a hugely successful racing career; "Smarty Jones was a freak/and that was why everybody loved him," Levin emphasizes repeatedly throughout the poem. If "Little Red Telegram" was merely a retelling of Smarty Jones' career, it perhaps would have been less memorable; however, Levin juxtaposes the tale of the colt with stories about a woman named Liz, "who was both meek and strangely strong," whose unhappy marriage was temporarily alleviated by the rush of excitement Smarty Jones' races caused.
Dividing her time between Drexel's campus and our Ivy League neighbor, Levin is currently teaching a Creative Writing course at the University of Pennsylvania. "Imaginarium" was a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Book of the Year Award, and Loonfeather Press has nominated Fair Creatures of an Hour for the Pulitzer Prize. Levin's poems and translations have been published in numerous acclaimed literary magazines, Levin has been nominated for eight Pushcart Prizes and is a Bucks County, Pennsylvania Poet Laureate. With such prestigious accomplishments, I opened my copy of "Fair Creatures of an Hour," a sunset-colored book showcasing a galloping clear toy horse, with high expectations. Delightedly, I was not disappointed.
Levin's poetry collection is divided into four sections, with several noteworthy themes circulating throughout. Levin discusses longing and heartache, hope and desperation, nostalgia and friendship, philosophy and religion, and life experiences and reflections with appropriate amounts of humility, remorse, curiosity, and sage wisdom and perspective. She evokes a multitude of emotions from the reader through her endlessly clever use of imagery, language, and metaphor. Touches of wit and brilliant observations are interwoven throughout the collection, creating a truly memorable and innovative masterpiece.
Levin's story-telling abilities and her remarkable talent for manipulating the English language are readily on display in "Little Red Telegram," an epic five-page recollection of famous thoroughbred Smarty Jones, a local hero shadowed by a grim history but who had a hugely successful racing career; "Smarty Jones was a freak/and that was why everybody loved him," Levin emphasizes repeatedly throughout the poem. If "Little Red Telegram" was merely a retelling of Smarty Jones' career, it perhaps would have been less memorable; however, Levin juxtaposes the tale of the colt with stories about a woman named Liz, "who was both meek and strangely strong," whose unhappy marriage was temporarily alleviated by the rush of excitement Smarty Jones' races caused.
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