Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, Library Volunteer
Genre: Poetry
Suggested Age: Adults, Teens
What is the book about?: You might know former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins from his creation of Poetry 180, a project Collins started to make poetry more accessible and acquaint high school students with the finest poets of our times. In Sailing Alone Around the Room, Collins’s poems touch on all aspects of life. His poignant “In Memoriam” dedication of the book to his late mother and father sets the tone for the volume, as the poems examine everyday life in quiet or unexpected moments, grief and joy.
My Review: We all have things we enjoy doing. I enjoy reading, although I’ve never considered myself a poetry person. But I love the poems in this collection! Filled with humor, irony, and imagery, the poems in Sailing Alone Around the Room are short – many just one page – but exquisitely crafted and emotionally engaging. Witness, for example, the sentiment in the poem “Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House,” which begins: “The neighbors’ dog will not stop barking.” And perhaps during a wakeful night you, like me, can identify with the feelings in the poem “Insomnia”: “someone inside me will not / get off his tricycle, / will not stop tracing the same tight circle / on the same green threadbare carpet.”
Although sometimes people can find reading poetry to be difficult, Collins excels at describing thoughts and feelings that we all have in common. Don’t be afraid to check out this book and read a poem or three or the whole book! You’ll enjoy it!
Three Words That Describe This Book: emotion, humor, thoughtful
Give This a Try if You Like… Gabbie Hanna or Tracy K. Smith (current U.S. poet laureate)
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!