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Other reviewers have captured my own ambivalence about this collection. It left me melancholic and suspended in unease: suitable for Joseph Cornell's boxes, which are, themselves, cool and beautiful and ambiguous. The accompanying plates of Cornell's boxes are gorgeous and worth the time and effort by themselves.
Reading this book was a new experience for me. I love poetry but I can't write a single poem to save my life so I have held such high regard for proficient poets from the very first time I read a poem in my early formative years. The prose and poetry inspired by the work of Joseph Cornell is just so lush with wonderful images and vivid stories. Reading this novel felt a lot like how I felt watching Hugo. Just bearing witness to history beneath your eyes and feeling the words on your mouth is jus...
The writings didn't hold my attention at all (and I skipped most of it, after reading the first page of each different author). Mostly disappointing because I love Jonathan Safran Foer's stuff so much, and thought this would be more of the same --I didn't realize until I got it today that he was merely the editor rather than The Author.
I'm giving this a four because I really REALLY like Joseph Cornell. The book is put together beautifully, and of course Cornell's art stands out because of how awesome it is. Some of the fiction and poetry is good, although some of it is not really my cup of tea. I mostly looked at the pictures, honestly. The pretty pretty pictures.
The main attractions of "A Convergence of Birds" are the reproductions of Joseph Cornell's bird boxes. The work inspired by the boxes is, as could probably be expected, uneven, and mostly unmemorable.Capturing the spirit of Cornell, Joanna Scott's "Slide Show" was a delight. Also asking to be read again were the poems "Construction" (John Burhardt), "Magic Musee" (Martine Bellen), and "Birds of a Feather" (Diane Ackerman), and the stories "Emory Bird Hands' Birds" (Barry Lopez), "The Appearance
Original Fiction and Poetry Inspired by the Work of Joseph Cornell.This is quite simply one of those very special gems that only come along ever so often. It is a truly magical anthology of highly accomplished and stunningly inventive authors that have now given me a resource of new books to last me years. Even though the entire book is complete in its surprise and brilliance. If a flood were to appear and ruin all but the fourteen pages of The Grand Hotel by Robert Coover, I could still be cont...
The edition that I own of this book is probably the most aesthetically pleasing, valuable, and treasured object I own besides personal keepsakes. It is signed by all of the contributing authors and there are color plates of the artwork. I look at it and I feel like a millionaire. Foer collected some fine stories inspired by an amazing artist. It's well worth reading and feeling and looking at.
Beautiful book, and beautiful, novel idea for a book. The poetry ranges from "out there", to boring, to inspiring. The artwork ranges from amazing to inspiring and back to amazing (but you know that already - that's why this book was dedicated to the artwork and artist). I borrowed it from the library but plan on buying is soon - would make a welcomed additional to my personal library. The kind of book you can pick up and read and ogle on any day.
I admit my attraction to this book was rooted, not in any affinity towards Cornell's art, but more so a compulsive need to absorb any and all things Jonathan Safran Foer. Regardless the motivation, in the end this was a beautiful collection of poetry and short stories with the inclusion of Cornell's art as inspiration for the pieces being equally inviting.Not a bad compilation for a college student with no experience in publishing. It's quite a bar to set.
Didn't read the fine print that this was a collection of works by other writers and all short stories that Foer collected. He wrote one himself that I read part way through but not with the same delight that I've read his novels. As a matter of personal preference, I prefer longer novels to short stories and poetry. After about 10 stories, I decided I would bring it back to the library. In my opinion the best part was the color image of Cornell boxes at the beginning of each story.
