[audiobook] Ani DiFranco: Verses by Ani DiFranco in Arts-Photography

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One of my most treasured books...By TLeighI used to save Anis lyrics in a word doc on my computer and reread them. They are so beautiful and have so much depth. To me. she is the most powerful poet/lyricist of all time. If you are an Ani fan you will love this gem of a book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Americas best living poet and social revolutionistBy David SeamanAni Difranco is still a young woman. despite her twenty-three albums. her half dozen DVDs her relentless touring sdchedule. cult following and being the CEO of Righteous Babe Records out of Buffalo. New York. Difranco. a graduate of the Buffalo Public schools magnet school for the arts. was a dance major who. during her junior year. picked up a guitar and began to play. No one plays a she does- between alternate tunings. fingers wrapped in duct tape and a way she has of transcending the label of musical styles. she began as folk. eased into Rock. then jazz and now-perhapos- is simply called alternative. she is arguably the finest guitar player alive today.This book of poetry is on a level that we havent seen since Gary Snyder. She has the rhyming skill of Sondheim. the honesty of Paul Simon. the purity of Robert Frost and the emotional tugging of Syvia Plath. On top of it. she has stremgth: an inner power that causes her five foot. one hundred pound frame to become a giant.DiFrancos poetry (and even that which began as lyric stands beautifully as poetry-not all lyrics can do this) is about everything in American life: she speaks openly and frankly about anything. she flips off the greedy corporate America. she points out the political injustice. the pain of abortion. the lunacy of murder and captures emotions and situations that weve all felt and lived through but no one has yet to put into words. (Google "School Night")At the same time that Eminiem endured the scruitiny of Homeland Security. DiFranco was writing and performing about the whiskey that ran down the thorats of two tall giraffes standing in lower Manhattan. who strutted along for centruies without saying "thank you" or "please."Homeland Security didnt dare.Okay. you may get offended. Thats the risk we take in a country with our first ammendment. But if a poem should cause you to want to wave your NRA card and curse. youll turn the page to be soothed by something that does connect to you.DiFranco. in her early thirties now. is taught in high schools. middle schools and on college campuses. where her concerts sell out imstantly. A spokesperson at Righteous Babe Records in Buffalo says that its not just a great job. its the feeling that shesw making a difference in the world.To teach her material is not just about musical style. poetry mathematics but largely higher level thinking- that all important part of education that standardized testing fails to measure.In the 1960s musicians led the Cultural Revolution: Simon Garfunkel. Nick Drake. Carole king. Bob Dylan. the dozens who died. all inspired the younger generation to change the way our government viewed the constitution. DiFranco is doing it again and others will follow. This book is a must- even for those who dont fancy themselves as "poetry lovers". Lord knows. it is time for us to re-read our Constitution."They were building a new foundation in Manhattanand discovered a slave cemetery thereMay their souls rest easy now that lynching is frowned uponWeve moved on to the electric chair"DiFranco is a woman to be admired and should she ever decide to add politicsd to her huge lists of contributions to American Society. she has my vote no matter what she does.Buy a few copies of this book. One for the bedeside. the bathroom and a few to give as gifts.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Verses: Listen through your eyesBy C. MatthiasI have been a long time fan of Ani Difranco. and count her among my top heroes. The book "Verses" offers validation to what her fans have long known--Difranco is a master poet. In this book there is a chance to read what has been listened to. and something happens in the reading that cannot happen in the listening. There is a migration of thought from "Ani is a sharp. well spoken. fireball of a folk singer" to "Ani finely crafts and structures each line of her poems".This however is supposed to be a review. not just the gushing of a fan. The Book is nicely bound in hardcover. Several images that are familiar from Ani albums accompanied as frame-able prints. The art within the book is wonderful. and reminiscent of the image and poetic/prose pairing in the Kahlil Gibran books. Very nice.Also pleasant is the dedication to and inclusion of conversations with Sekou Sandiate; a mentor and friend of Difranco. Ani has made clear over her career the importance of connecting with the past. and strength through collaboration and encounters with mentors and heroes. Here she takes the opportunity to demonstrate her conviction. and humility once again.Anis music has been a major touchstone in my life. however some of my friends have described difficulty in being able to understand her words. (she is not an artist to be encountered only with a cursory glance. but rather to be submerged in) This book offers the means to share the artists words and concepts. which this fan would say is her greatest offering.