Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art

Greenberg, Jan, editor. 2001. HEART TO HEART: NEW POEMS INSPIRED BY TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN ART. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0-8109-4386-7

In this anthology Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art, readers view a compilation of art with poetic interpretations much like going to an art museum with an docent illuminating each pieces qualities. Each poem uniquely accompanies the work of art. As Lois Parker-Hennion in VOYA so aptly put it, “This delightful book… celebrates the connections between poet and artist and between reader and viewer.” Editor Jan Greenberg grouped these poems and art according to the poet’s response to the poem – to tell a story, add voice to the piece of art, share a poet’s impressionistic description if the artwork, or explores the artist’s form, light or space in their work through poetic form. Overall, forty-three poetic works are incorporated in this fine collection; including those from Kristine O’Connell George, Tony Johnston, and Jane Yolen, as well as, artistic pieces from Grandma Moses and Georgia O’Keefe. These art pieces of the 1900s represent a variety of media and range from folk art to modern pop art. Readers will enjoy a variety of poetic forms that enrich each art piece – shape, pantoum, diamante, sonnets, rhymed verses, and free verse. The poems are filled with vivid imagery bringing life to both the poems and art. In “Dream Horses” by Nancy Willard, she describes the horses as, “one carries me home, the other shadows her on the slippery trail shifting and shaking….” Or where Janine Pommy Vega uses a metaphor to describe Georgia O’Keefe’s Poppy beginning with “In the carmine extravagance the skirts of a Spanish dancer swirl flamenco rhythms….” In some of the poems, text is creatively arranged expressing more than just the words themselves. “An innovative book to integrate art history and creative writing (Follos, 2004).”  

Included are a brief introduction by editor Jan Greenberg sharing her love of art as a child and the explanation of each section. Concluding the volume, biographical notes on the authors and artists, photograph credits, and an index listing artists, poets, poetry titles, and  the titles of the artwork are included. 

Readers of all ages will enjoy this anthology reading it again and again. Teachers can use this great book as a springboard for their own classroom anthologies pairing student’s poems with other famous artwork. Even using some of these same art pieces can encourage students to express their own interpretation of the work. 

Awarded the Michael L. Printz Award in 2002, Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by

Twentieth-Century American Art has also been included on state and professional journal book lists. Some of which are the 2001 ALA’s Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth, The 2002 ALSC Notable Children’s Books list, 2001 School Library Journal Best Books list, YALSA’s 2002 Best Books for Young Adults list, and the 2001 Capitol Choices. 

References

Follis, Alison. 2004. “Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art (Book).” School Library Journal 50, no. 11:66. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost(accessed December 1, 2011).

Parker-Hennion, Lois. 2001. “Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art (Book Review).” VOYA, No. 3:24.