Body Painting Paperback – August 1, 2005

It was what I order and I was pleased with what I received.

I was disappointed when I received this book as it is merely a book of poetry and has absolutely nothing to do with body painting. At first I thought I made a mistake and that the bit about poetry was just a detail in the description that I overlooked. Nope. There is absolutely no mention that this is a book of poetry anywhere in the title or even the description. The little piece of the title that's prominently displayed on the actual book cover in red "Body Painting: POEMS BY" isn't in the listed title or even visible in the picture of the cover on Amazon. The only place poetry is mentioned at all on this Amazon page is in the comments by people who were similarly mad about the confusion. I didn't bother reading the poetry, as I was too incensed to care at that point. It may be good, it may not. Who cares though? Put the words "POEMS" or "POETRY" somewhere on this page so that people know what they're actually buying.

Hopefully, there will be more volumes of poems by this writer. I await the release of whatever may come next! Poetry provides a glimpse into the soul of the poet; this volume tells great, epic tales of life and endeavor of one very talented poet.

This is a book of poems. The description was not that clear, Thought that it was a book of photographs of painted bodies.

Jane Hilberry, Body Painting (Red Hen Press, 2005)One look at the cover of Body Painting-- a lush blonde wearing nothing but, as the title suggests, a fantastic coat of what looks like watercolor-- and you know this is not going to be your usual book of poetry. And it is anything but that. Hilberry's poems alternate between (ad often combine) the sexual and the spiritual, offering up a truly erotic reading experience delivered by someone who actually knows what she's doing with a pen:"I have a tone inside methat has not been sounded. Or only onceor twice. Once she went straight to the centerof me, once she could have walked through melike a tunnel. She could have seen skyon the other side of me.I could have washed my hands in sand,then touched her, turned her to sand.I'm the opposite of Midas: I want to touchwhat's returning to earth. "("Sand")An absolutely delicious book, highly recommended. ****

This book has nothing to do with the art of body painting, except for it's cover. It is a book of poetry and it is misleading to advertise this book with those who treat the subject of body painting.

These poems blew me away. They capture in exquisitely beautiful language so many experiences that I've had or can relate to. There were moments when reading these poems when a stab went through my heart. Although there's a lot of pain in the poems there's a humor and lightness that moves through them also. I appreciated her frank exploration of sexuality, grief and human relationships.

Jane Hilberry paints life's hues with humor,desire, grief. Family and friends, indeed even lovers passing through are described and cherished. The memories of a girl, and a woman's sexuality are placed in context of a life imagined and real. These poems evoke the livings of each of us in a beautiful style and sensitivity.