Book Review: My Lost Poets is wide-ranging, fun, and thoughtful. Just like Philip Levine himself. What I most enjoyed about this collection was learning more about Levine the person, not just the persona presented in his poetry. This Philip Levine loves jazz, I mean really loves jazz. He is an ardent but humble proponent of the working class, which we knew, but see him here as a person of beliefs, not simply as a poet. He remembers Detroit, the Spanish Civil War, many, many poets. He's open about his own flaws and limitation as a teacher and reader of poetry; there's no big head here. Self-deprecating and funny. Give him a book of Keats and he's a happy man. That's what I liked best, but what was most valuable is how on every other page Levine refers the reader to a poem, a poet, a place that needs to be found, read, understood. He includes whole poems, his own and others', and his analysis. He tells where he began, about his influences and those he influenced. In My Lost Poets Levine gives you an extensive reading list that'll open your eyes and make you think differently. The section on John Berryman was irresistible, and his honest but gentle assessments of other poets, both unknown and celebrated, are profound. This short book can help make you a better reader, poet, and person. [4½★]
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