Peer Reviews of An Italian Morning
D.H. Melhem, poet, novelist, scholar, musical dramatist, six books of poems, including Conversations
"What a cornucopia of poetry Vinni Marie D'Ambrosio offers with An Italian Morning! With wit and wisdom, this collection of poems awakens the reader to the natural beauty and simple pleasures of existence, while also courageously addressing themes of loss.
"D'Ambrosio's ample gifts embellish the work: her fine ear for nuances of language and her painterly eye draw us to the visible world, as in 'The Blue-Ringed Tower in El Centro, CA,' along with the nature-drenched poems of New York ('Love Upstate') and Maine ('Maine, 1. Summer, pianissimo' and '2. Winter, fortissimo'). The collection also offers healing, as in 'Aubade' to her former husband, delight in family with poems dedicated to her daughter and grandson, and a humanistic reaching out to neglected figures, as evident in 'Rose Jones,' the poignant elegy for her cleaning woman. Throughout, readers will find fresh appreciations of Shakespeare and the poetry found within Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. D'Ambrosio's command of craft is clear and unpretentious. As an understated yet significant bonus, her exquisite translations from Spanish highlight the lesser-known but brilliant and tragic figure of Alfonsina Storni (1892-1938).
"Wallace Stevens wrote that a poem 'refreshes life.' Indeed, D'Ambrosio's An Italian Morning achieves this triumph, appealing to the heart, mind, and spirit, making it a worthy subject of peer reviews and discussions in the realm of contemporary Italian poetry."
Roberta Gould, poet, nine books of poems, including Not by Blood Alone, Houses with Ladders, Esta Na
Whether evoking the primal marshes of Brooklyn, a pearwood box in a child's room, paradise regained with trombones and tropical flora, or 'The Consolation in Being History,' along with her own romantic histories recreated with humor and subtle wit, Vinni Marie D'Ambrosio, an acclaimed figure in poetry, showcases a mastery of language that resonates with a musician's ear and a painter's eye. Her work, often highlighted in peer reviews, reflects a true joie de vivre—gifts she shares with the world she loves.
Karen Swenson, poet, five books of poems including A Daughter's Latitude and The Lady from Bangkok
. . . [A] master of imagery . . . The lyrical sweep of Vinni Marie D'Ambrosio's Italian poetry swirls you from individual flower petals to the white dust of winter, creating a feast of superb images. In An Italian Morning, her emotional range is as wide as her imagistic spectrum, a sentiment echoed in numerous peer reviews.
Martin Mitchell, editor-in-chief, Rattapallax, Pivot, Athanor
. . . [P]rosodically carefree, the poems in Vinni Marie D'Ambrosio's new collection of Italian poetry display the author's sensual delight in language. Her work is characterized by a contagious linguistic playfulness that is often highlighted in peer reviews, propelling the willing reader to all manner of exotic and vividly detailed settings and memories, both ordinary and extraordinary.
Prof. Martin Tucker, L.I.U., editor-in-chief Confrontation, Library of Literary Criticism, other lit
Ilsa Gilbert, poet, librettist, lyricist, The Bundle Man, One Night Together, and other chamber oper
... brought to being simply and elegantly, Vinni Marie D'Ambrosio's Italian poetry offers a grand surprise in its subject matter. The telling is equally magical, and these poems glow without artifice, resonating with the insights found in peer reviews.
Carol Wreszin, poet
Prof. Thelma Jurgrau, SUNY, scholar, translator, editor of George Sand's Autobiography
Many of Vinni Marie D'Ambrosio's poems in An Italian Morning reflect the essence of Italian poetry through their playful and self-ironic nature, yet they touch us in an unexpectedly profound way. While her vision remains optimistic in the face of the disappointments and tragedies that confront us, we also grasp her seriousness. Over the years, I have been personally impressed by her long and serious dedication to the art, as highlighted in various peer reviews. She makes us believe that we all need poetry.