Reviews of Coin of the Realm

“The author of seven books of poetry, Phillips turns his talents to an explication of the art and artistry of the poem, treating topics as diverse as beauty, construction, association, and identity….Recommended for libraries that refuse to overlook the importance of the craft of poetry.” —Library Journal

“Carl Phillips’s book of essays Coin of the Realm is an honestly written piece of poetic criticism. Phillips’ power as a critic is largely derived from his ability to constantly show an awareness of contemporary poetic trends without necessarily buying into those trends. Whether he is discussing the book of Psalms or the ever-emerging genre of the prose poem, Phillips makes contemporary readers feel the value of interrogating the various poetic concerns those works bring to the table.” —Mid-American Review

“Passionate in its quest for the quintessentially human, doggedly resolute in its admiration for honesty, this collection reveals Phillips’s deftness as a critic, as well as his concern with literature’s function as a cipher of devotion.” —Black Issues Book Review