Americana Collection: Poems of War and Peace

Americana Collection: Poems of War and Peace, John Jiambalvo's second book of poetry, explores topics such as politics, religion, love, and family. Together, these poems create a quilt of everyday American life, stitched together by the poet's often sardonic, always insightful language.

The collection begins with the first of five sections, "In Tempore Belli," which translates to "In Time of War." A weighty beginning, this first assemblage of poems addresses current wars that seem far away and even nonexistent, as well as earlier wars that most people now view abstractly or nostalgically. Jiambalvo's poems will open the eyes of readers who have taken current political realities for granted. He then moves readers through everyday life with middle sections entitled "Americana," "Essential Gaudiness" (a phrase that nods to poet Wallace Stevens), and "You." The book wraps up with the final section, "Toward a More Abundant Life," and offers hope despite all that the book has represented before.

Formal without being ponderous, Jiambalvo's poems are accessible to those who rarely read poetry while remaining interesting to those who are experts in contemporary American poetry.