Barbaro: Beyond Brokenness

There is no "best book written by Lyn Lifshin"...Ms. Lifshin outdoes herself with each successive work! I WILL concede that Barbaro: Beyond Darkness IS one of my favorites. It is fluid, thoughtful and (as always) is a layer-on-layer experience for the poetry lover.

Lyn Lifshin, Barbaro: Beyond Brokenness (Texas Review Press, 2009) I was not a big Barbaro fan. In the Derby, my money was on Lawyer Ron (and I kept following that financial black hole until his retirement, unfortunately). But after the Preakness, like every other horse fan (and millions of non-horse-fans), I got caught up in the drama of Barbaro's surgeries, seemingly miraculous recoveries, and final decline. And after the... Read Full Review

For anyone who was moved by the gallant and heartbreaking saga of Barbaro, Lyn Lifshin's Barbaro:Beyond Brokeness recreates in poetry both exquisite and passionate the legend of Barbaro. I can think of no other poet who writes so movingly about race horses. ---Laura Boss

Lyn Lifshin chronicles Barbaro's life, from his birth in a stall in Kentucky, his awe inspiring win in the 2006 Kentucky Derby, to the injury that ultimately led to his death. As one who followed this amazing horse and fell in love with him I cannot praise Lyn enough for this labor of love. This collection of her poetry will make you smile and bring you tears and you will understand poetry in motion. What an artist's brush... Read Full Review