Jaguar of Sweet Laughter: New and Selected Poems

I've been a fan of Ackerman's beautifully written explorations of nature, and I've always been a poetry lover, but this is the first time I've read a book of her poems. They are not merely good, they are astonishing: each poem is a painting with words that is literalist, expressionist, abstract, and impressionist all at once. From her heartbreaking goodbye to the Challenger crew ("we envied you, wind-walkers"), to her tours of the planets, to her plunges into the depths of the ocean, Ackerman illuminates the rhythms of nature and the human heart in ways you've never encountered. She can get into the mind and heart of creatures great and small. History, death, evolution, nature, faith, sex, love - all are explored here in a volume that might sound scattershot but is woven into a single journey with marvels at every turn. Thank you, Diane Ackerman. - Matt Bille, author, Shadows of Existence: Discoveries and Speculations in Zoology (Hancock, 2006)www.mattwriter.com

There were too many references to her encounters with men, not explicit, but implied. I thought her poems about the planets would have more to do with them, but she takes off into directions I didn't understand. I like poetry, her's is average in my opinion. There was one notable quote and I paraphrase as I don't have the book on hand---Everyone I have met is beautiful until they prove to me they are ugly. I like that.

Soon tea bouquet scents my mouth, hair, the room,washes up over my face, and through the portholeI watch night's crystal blackness settling in,then lightning begin to prowl the peninsula,as I sip the sweet violet-scented tonic,feel an elevator drop sideways in my chest,and drift from the river into a river of dreams.~ pg. 27, At Brazil Where the Sun DinesReading most of Diane Ackerman's books gave me a sense of who she is as a person. Reading her poems took my knowledge of her to the next level. The poems are sensuously beautiful and Diane's command of language is at times startling and profound. She is a naturalist in her poems and a poet when writing prose. Deer, horses, dophins, bats, squirrels and moths all make their appearance. She also explores matters of the heart and mind and many of the poems have a delicate emotional balance.You will appreciate these poems even more if you have read about all her adventures. I especially enjoyed "Beija-Flor" which is a very exotic poem that mingles thoughts of kissing with nature scenes. It is quite beautiful with all its imagery. There are a few long complicated poems about planets and then a poem called "New House" in which she divulges intriguing information on the house where she lives.We would lie on coral sand, below sugary stars,watching Cassiopeia mount her throneand the Great Bear wash its paws in the South.I would say, " I have a secret to tell you."And, folding me in your arms, boyish and sly,you would answer: "Whisper it into my mouth."~ pg. 102, French Frigate ShoalsIf you love books by Diane Ackerman then I can also recommend: A Natural History of the Senses 'The Moon by Whale Light: And Other Adventures Among Bats, Penguins, Crocodilians, and Whales An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain A Natural History Of Love Cultivating Delight: A Natural History of My Garden ~The Rebecca Review

The only reason for four stars instead of five is that the pages are a little yellow and crisp instead of white or creamy and fairly supple. But the poetry is stunning and the paperback book itself is in good condition. Had I wanted supple white pages I should have bought a brand-new copy, right?!

This marvelous book of poetry provides an excellent companion to the books and essays written by Ackerman. In "Jaguar", Ackerman gives free rein to the lyrical, sensual side of her passionate nature. Her prose only hints at the ecstasies and explosive joy that consumes this magnificent writer. As a naturalist, Ackerman is a restless world explorer, one day she might be picking her way through the steamy bowels of the Amazon; the next, she might be dogsledding across Antarctica. Her poems pay homage to the unremarked beauty of the exotic and the prosaic. She captures the shattering loveliness of the seemingly desolate polar landscape. Her poet's eye can observe charm and grace in unusual places. In "Lines Written in a Pittsburgh Skyscraper" Ackerman evokes startling beauty amidst the urban landscape. "At night, the red sirens spinning mute across the river converge like pulsars at some accident or crime." But Ackerman's artistry is not confined to the outdoors. She also explores the interior landscape of the mind and the heart. Her imagery is so vivid and precise that it makes the reader feel the experiences with all her senses. In a "Pilot's Pay" Ackerman describes her lover: "My love, whose palms are road maps, whose lips are a dragonfly, My love who slays the wolves of inertia..."

The so-called negative review here is actually full of praise. There is no negative review, just the more and less ardently praising reviews.That's because Ackerman's poems themselves are a form of praise, and we who have discovered her want to praise her for observing and praising the world. These poems are extroverted, extremely vivid, they bend but don't break the ordinary usage of language. They are full of wonders. You could say they are unusually happy poems.Turns out, if you read Origami Bridges, Ackerman does indeed have a dark side--which she beautifully explores. Perhaps these extroverted poems are the compensation to look away from those inner demons. Whatever there is, we can count on this poet to process it and share it with us gracefully and, I think the word is warranted, brilliantly.Wonderful poems.