Poetry 180; a turning back to poetry. (Poetry).

COLLINS, Billy, ed. Poetry 180; a turning back to poetry. Random House, 323p. index. c2003. 0-8129-6887-5. $13.95.

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Perhaps the focus and quality of Poetry 180 is best summed up in poet laureate Billy Collins' only poem in this anthology. In reference to poetry as taught in high school, he concludes, "I want them to waterski / across the surface of a poem / waving at the author's name on the shore, / But all they want to do / is tie the poem to a chair with rope I and torture a confession out of it. / They begin beating it with a hose Ito find out what it means,"

In fact, Poetry 180 consciously avoids those pieces that "had become a standard offering in textbooks and anthologies." Instead, Collins states, "The idea behind this ... collection ... was to assemble a generous selection of short, clear, contemporary poems which any listener could basically 'get' on first hearing--poems whose injection of pleasure is immediate," It is intended "to expose high school students to the new voices in contemporary poetry." Yet the appeal is simultaneous to teenagers and those well beyond high school, The authors are top notch, the scope of the work is universal, and the approaches are varied: humorous, sad, reflective, giddy, always honest and perceptive.

Where was this book when I was struggling to teach Creative Writing: Contemporary Poetry to juniors and seniors in high school? Any such course today has to consider Poetry 180 as a textbook and every library needs a copy on its shelves. It is, in Collins' words, "a big bouquet of poems that I happen to like," I'm betting you will too. James Beschta, Barre, MA