Queen for a Day: Selected And New Poems

By Denise Duhamel

Book Overview

There's no predicting a Denise Duhamel poem, except that it might be about something you've never seen in a poem before: Mr. Donut, Rodney King, or nude beaches; Gertrude Stein, phone sex, or the Girl Scouts. Poems from The Woman with Two Vaginas, a book that was censored when it first appeared, are based on Inuit folklore. How the Sky Fell offers revisionist fairy tales, and the poems from Kinky are inspired by Barbie dolls. In her new work, Duhamel suffers postmodern angst when using the "therapeutic I." Denise Duhamel has startled readers of American poetry with work that pirouettes on a tightrope above the personal and the political, the spoken word and the page, the irreverent and the sacred. Queen for a Day showcases poems from her five previous collections, along with new work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0822957620
• ISBN13: 9780822957621
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
• Length: 120 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.1" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

D. D. rocks my socks!

What an incredible book of poems! Denise Duhamel's book is really a must-read for any poetry lover, especially those of the feminine sex. She has the ability to discourse on a variety of subjects in a way that is conversational, at times funny, at times serious, and extremely witty. She highlights simple, but realistic problems in the lives of women and portrays them very personally, making them ring true. My particular favorites in this collection were "Him-Whose-Penis-Never-Slept", "How the Sky Fell", and the entire section entitled "Kinky." Ladies, you need to read this section if you recall anything at all about your Barbie doll days. I have a feeling that men may not get as much out of this book as women will because of it's heavily feministic themes but I thought is was wonderful and well worth the read. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book!

Nick at Nite?

Upon reading her poem Nick at Nite, you will understand just why I like Ms. Duhamel's work. It's crass, frank, funny, and altogether moving. The only question I would pose her if I did have the chance is whether her play on the words Nick at Nite was intentional or not. Either way if you enjoy witty poems with a bit of sentimentality to it this book is for you.

Queen Bee

I am a student at Bowling Green (Ohio) and I got to hear Denise Duhamel read from her book last night on our campus. Her work is hilarious but also vey touching and human. Like all the jokes and criticism aimed at society implicate herself as well. I bought her book and she signed it for me! But I recommend this book highly, even if you can't get her to sign it. Her work is informative, challenging, and fun. Oh yeah, and she writes about Barbie dolls too.

THE ROYAL TREATMENT

It is a real joy to have so many of Duhamel's poems under one roof. Her development in narrative voice is amazing to watch--the book is arranged in chronological order. The newest poems are big and fat and full of fun! Duhamel is the new Queen of the New York School. She rules!

It's delicious it's delovely it's Denise Duhamel

Denise Duhamel's poems amuse the muse. She can make you laugh; she can astound you with the turns her mind takes. She knows the difference between day and night, between Pepsi and Coke, and between Pepsi and Pope. In David Lehman's words, "With her cunning ingenuity she can talk on almost any subject, and this conversational ease as much as her celebration of culture and her good humor and deadpan funniness make her an excellent example of New York School poetics."