Carolyn Kizer Book

A thoughtful and meticulously-researched account of the life of Carl Sandburg. Having unrestricted access to many of the subject's personal papers allowed the author to create a more holistic view of Sandburg than would have been allowed by only referencing the public information available. Full disclosure: I was not really a fan of Sandburg the poet in general, and I'm still not a fan of Sandburg's style of prose poetry, which is sprinkled throughout the book. My motivation for reading this was a recent visit to the Carl Sandburg Home, part of the National Park Service, near Flat Rock, NC. The interest was more from a nostalgic and historical perspective. ~ Throughout his lifetime, Sandburg was much more than just a poet. He was also a biographer, a novelist, a historian, a lecturer, a novelist, a folk singer, and a social activist, among other titles he could rightly claim. For all his fame during his lifetime, the author reminds us, through presentation of his personal correspondence and that of his family, friends, and contemporaries, that he was human as well. Bringing a character to life through words is a worn-out cliche in many cases, but the author accomplishes this completely. That aspect is perhaps the most redeeming quality of the book. That's also the reason I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would.