Amy Barone is a noted poet and prominent member of New York's poetry circuit, including Great Weather's Spoken Word Sunday venue at the Parkside Lounge. Her new book, Kamikaze Dance, is part of the New Women's Voices Series from Finishing Line Press.
Amy's poems are distinguished by their accessibility in both form and content, and are imbued throughout with gentle humor and poignancy. She shares her experiences with world travel, with memorable poetic snapshots covering Italy, Greece, Brazil and Argentina. Writes longingly about her youth and family life in the Philadelphia area. Perhaps most enjoyable are a pair of poems which are portraits of her poetry colleagues in workshops and open mic readings and the lengths that they go to in expressing their passion.
Amy references the Japanese word kamikaze in the title of her book, which translates as "divine wind". And her book is suffused with the cleansing, inevitable wind of Time. It bears away the romantic Italy of her earlier travels, the careerism which had once defined her, the memory and vitality of her much loved mother. But the poet is left wiser and deeper for it.
Kamikaze Dance is an excellent collection of a fine poet's work, and would be an ideal book to share with a family member or friend who has an interest in reading more poetry.