Synopses & Reviews
andlt;I andgt;Grown men donand#8217;t cry.andlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;But in this fascinating anthology, one hundred menand#8212;distinguished in literature and film, science and architecture, theater and human rightsand#8212;confess to being moved to tears by poems that continue to haunt them. Representing twenty nationalities and ranging in age from their early 20s to their late 80s, the majority are public figures not prone to crying. Here they admit to breaking down when ambushed by great art, often in words as powerful as the poems themselves.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Their selections include classics by visionaries such as Walt Whitman, W.H Auden, and Philip Larkin, as well as contemporary works by masters including Billy Collins, Seamus Heaney, Derek Walcott, and poets who span the globe from Pablo Neruda to Rabindranath Tagore.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Seventy-five percent of the selected poems were written in the twentieth century, with more than a dozen by women including Mary Oliver, Elizabeth Bishop, and Gwendolyn Brooks. Their themes range from love in its many guises, through mortality and loss, to the beauty and variety of nature. Three men have suffered the pain of losing a child; others are moved to tears by the exquisite way a poet captures, in Alexander Popeand#8217;s famous phrase, and#8220;what oft was thought, but neand#8217;er so well expressand#8217;d.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;From J. J. Abrams to John le Carrand#233;, Salman Rushdie to Jonathan Franzen, Daniel Radcliffe to Nick Cave, Billy Collins to Stephen Fry, Stanley Tucci to Colin Firth, and Seamus Heaney to Christopher Hitchens, this collection delivers private insight into the souls of men whose writing, acting, and thinking are admired around the world.
Review
"Everyone who reads this collection will be roused: disturbed by the pain, exalted in the zest for joy given by poets."
Review
and#8220;andlt;Iandgt;Poems That Make Grown Men Cryandlt;/Iandgt; is an anthology of some of the most emotive lines in literature chosen by 100 famous and admired men, ranging from Daniel Radcliffe to Nick Cave, John le Carrand#233; and Jonathan Franzen.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;This collection is about the emotional power of art, and the Holdens cast aside any accusations of sentimentality or mawkishness. Anyone who reads andlt;iandgt;Poems That Make Grown Men Cryandlt;/iandgt; will be roused, disturbed and exalted by the poems selected.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;I most enjoyed the brief introduction each contributor gave their selected poem. The stories behind the poems that moved them to tears were often just as emotional and passionateand#8230; I would recommend this as a gift to the poetry-lover in your life - whether they're a man or a woman.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;The Holdens remind us that you don't have to be an academic or a postgraduate in creative writing to be moved by verseand#8230;I defy anyone not to enjoy the Holdens' book: It's plain fun.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Yes, this book will make an ideal gift for the men in your life, particularly those who shudder at the very thought of reading poems. And, of course, as Nadine Gordimerand#8217;s and my personal examples prove, it can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of gender or nationality. After all, that is the power of poetry: how it can speak to each one of us individually and intimately.and#8221;
Synopsis
A unique collection of poetry so powerful that 100 grown menand#8212;bestselling authors, poets laureate, and other eminent figures from the arts, sciences, and politicsand#8212;have been moved to tears. Here they deliver touching and insightful personal introductions to a range of beloved poems.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Grown men arenand#8217;t supposed to cry. andlt;Iandgt;Poems That Make Grown Men Cryandlt;/Iandgt;, however, a rare and fascinating collection, will profoundly move the strongest menand#8212;and womenand#8212;to heartfelt tears.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Father-and-son team Anthony and Ben Holden, a British writer and movie producer respectively, have teamed up to compile a poetry anthology unlike any other. Poets whose work is represented in this collection include W.H. Auden, Charles Bukowski, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Emily Dickinson, D.H. Lawrence, Harold Pinter, Ezra Pound, William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, and a host of other notables.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Familiar personalities who have confessed to breaking down range from J.J. Abrams to John le Carrand#233;, Seamus Heaney to Richard Dawkins, Salman Rushdie to Jonathan Franzen, and Stanley Tucci to Colin Firth. Each explains why the poems have made them cryand#8212;often in words as moving as the poetry itselfand#8212;delivering private insight into the souls of men whose writing, acting, or thinking you have enjoyed and admired.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;In andlt;Iandgt;Poems That Make Grown Men Cryandlt;/Iandgt;, not only will you savor old favorites and discover new gems; you will share private moments through the joys and sorrows of some of the most moving poetry ever written. Most important, you will learn more about yourself in the process.
About the Author
Anthony Holden is an award-winning journalist who has published more than thirty books, including biographies of Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky, and Laurence Olivier. He has also published translations of opera and ancient Greek plays and poetry. He lives in London.Ben Holdenandlt;bandgt; andlt;/bandgt;is a writer and film producer. He was the director of European Film and Television at Exclusive Media, where he helped relaunch Britainand#8217;s most famous film production label, Hammer. Like his father, Anthony Holden, Ben was educated at Merton College, Oxford, where he was awarded an Exhibition Scholarship in English Literature. He lives in London.