Happy Life

David Budbill

David Budbill continues a wry, joyful examination of life on his semi-metaphorical Judevine Mountain, writing about the New England seasons, fame and fortune, self-reliance, aging, and the engaged creative life. Profoundly simple and immediate, Budbill’s poems radiate a love for nature with absolute clarity of expression.

ISBN: 9781556593741

Format: Paperback

About the Author

David Budbill (1940–2016) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to a streetcar driver and a minister’s daughter. He was the author of nine books of poems, nine plays, a novel, a collection of short stories, a picture book for children, and dozens of essays, introductions, speeches, and book reviews. He also produced two CDs, Zen Mountains/Zen Streets and Songs for a Suffering World with The Judevine Mountain Trio. His poems appeared regularly on The Writer’s Almanac. His prizes and honors included …

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Reviews

“His poetry is as accessible as a parking lot and as plain as a pair of Levi’s.” —Parnassus

“A recognizable immediacy and honesty, accompanied by an endearing wit… Budbill’s economical, brush-stroke approach… evinces a hard-won clarity, a pure, human tone.” —Library Journal

“One of the most readable American poets ever.” —Booklist

“There we have it in a nutshell, the defining terms of Budbill’s vision, the tension between worldly desire and quiet wisdom, the intent to be here now. It’s a focus that infuses nearly every poem in this collection, whether he is writing about nature, or chores, or celebrating his occasional visits to the city, where amidst the ‘[c]rowded and noisy streets,’ he feels ‘the solitude of / the quiet mountainside.’… Such resolution is difficult to come by, and more difficult to maintain. It requires both self-awareness and a touch of self-deprecation… or, at least, the ability to see yourself plain.” —Los Angeles Times