One of the most inspirational and heartfelt book I have ever read in my life! Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a poetry collection featuring works from a wide variety of authors, all giving their unique perspectives on the most important part of human life—the heart. It was an extremely hit or miss collection for me, and I found it very hard to get into. In general, I tended to prefer the poems that focused on the less tangible, more emotional views of the heart, rather than the technical and clinical depictions. To me, the poems that spoke from essentially a medical perspective felt like reading a biology textbook—albeit a lyrical one—rather than a poetry collection.

All of the writers who contributed are extremely talented; all of the writing was strong and skilled. In my opinion, however, the flow of the writing—both individually and as a whole—was definitely broken up by the ones that focused more on fact than feeling. Of course, not all poetry needs to be abstract and romantic. The freedom to be whatever the writer wants it to be is one of the reasons why this is such a wonderful vehicle for creativity and expression. But for me, I think I just prefer poems that creatively expand on the emotional rather than the physical.

The Heart is Improvisational is anthology of poems that tackles anything about one of the vital human organs: the heart. Carol Lipszyc compiled poems from 53 renowned and influential poets such as Charles Bukowski, Eugenio de Andrade, Donald Justice, Erno Szep, and Rita Dove.

There are several poems in this poetry book that are more clinical in aspect, thus some medical terms are hard to understand, especially those who are not in the health care field. Although there are verses that cannot easily be comprehend, there are other poems in this compendium that addresses romance and familial in context.

Two of the outstanding poems I considered from this book are: Donor by Tamar Yoseloff; and Love Poem for Daughter by Marilyn Bowering.

Never has Pascal's saying "The heart has its own reasons which reasons knows not" been as vivid as it was in reading this collection of poems.
I'll have to say that the arrangement and presentation of poems was key in making me understand, love and connect with the poems. The poems begin with a more mechanical theme based on the functionality of the heart and progresses into the emotional and more psychological aspect with a bit f a connection to family and history in the middle. Eva Tihanyi's poem kind of marks the end and beginning of a new phase with It beats. It stops beating. as she gives what she titles The Unabridged History of the Heart.
I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review and reading the poems made my evening!
If you love poetry, poets and poems, then how about reading poems centered around the one organ that we cannot shy away from?

This is a really beautiful collection of poetry. I thoroughly enjoyed working my way through it in between reading novels. Highly recommend, very deep and emotional

This book isn't just about the anatomy of the heart organ; it's about all the feelings, experiences, and thoughts that can't be defined in scientific terms. The intro sums up the core of its message: "Is it any wonder we place on the heart, an organ so elemental and life-sustaining, the weight and accountability we do?"

Unlike poetry and prose that seeks to tell you something, I felt this book was simply trying to connect, to understand its own existence in the way all humans do. I enjoyed this collection and I think the fact that it's filled with multiple voices gives it the capacity to resonate with almost anyone. My favorite poem is "Donor" by Tamar Yoseloff.

The Heart is Improvisational: An Anthology in Poetic Form, compiled & edited by Carol Lipszyc, is a collection of poems that digs deep into the many facets of the human heart and its emotions. Each section of poems is a visceral experience, whether the words we read are contemplating the physicality of the organ itself or the feelings that come from the connections we have to both our hearts and the hearts of others.

The poems are contemporary and free-verse, though some have experimented with both form and musicality. Themes range from the science of the heart to its history, the differing philosophies of love (erotic, familial, etc) and the heart's human connection to the natural world. My favorites in the collection included those about family, summer love, and a gentle, sensual love: Love Poem for My Daughter, My Heart Hears You Dreaming, Invitation, and We Kissed As Lovers Under Widowed Light.

The Heart is Improvisational is a collection of poems that will be enjoyed by any reader who wants to investigate the workings of the human heart and understand the many shades of human love. Though it will be most likely picked up by those who already read poetry, the contemporary poems in it are accessible to a wider audience as well. An anthology that brings its readers both a satisfying intellectual and emotional experience, this journey of the heart is a collection to share with someone you love.

The Heart is Improvisational is a poetry collection about the heart. Some poems are about the scientific side of the heart and others are less scientific and more about the heart and its capability to love. The Heart is Improvisational had a great beginning in the introduction:

"Is it any wonder we place on the heart, an organ so elemental and life-sustaining, the weight and accountability we do?"

This collection is already the second poetry collection that I read in August. I don't know why, but I think poetry is so interesting and a special way to turn your feelings and thoughts into words.

The Heart is Improvisational had some poems that I didn't fully understand. Some of them were about science and some of them were about weird things that I didn't find that interesting/relevant. But overall I really liked the poetry collection!

An excellent book and resource for anyone needing a smile.

Thanks for Netgalley and respective publishers

WOW ! WOW ! WOW !

"The hear has its own reasons which reasons knows not".

This poetry book titled as 'The Heart is Improvisational' was incredibly beautiful which was consisting soulful poems.
Especially, In some poems Heart's definition and functionality was so excellently described correlating with unique metaphors.
I felt grateful all the time while reading it thoroughly.
Splendid work.

' Some think they are hands of gods,
I know they are the hands of a man;
tremulous hulks where water,
sadness and four seasons,
indifferent, filter in. '

Some topic was posses so influencing vibes as in Love, Invitation, My heart, Buoy etc
* Aviary--
' I hold at my arm,
& watch the clear cocktail is its slow
doing through the tube. We sit in a row
each of us tethered breath by breath'
* L27011945---
'The healthy heart is impulsive,
an electric muscle the size of a fist'

Most lovely lines-
In this century those like us
refuse like us
to live as if we have never been.