Customer Reviews:

• "What a rewarding read! The Anytown Parade is, as its title suggests, rich with details of Americana while at the same time revealing the deep and universal truths embedded in the lives we all live. In "A Disappointment of Mountains" Ms. Simms contrasts a child's view of the Blue Ridge Mountains with a more mature vision, which appreciates the mountains' imperfections and finds them better than "false and flawless heights that never were." This maturity of vision is also found in "Third Level: University Stadium", when the poet writes..."every pain, remote or near, is real as mine. Or yours." And in the poem "How Can They Sleep” the poet does not shrink from both a moral and a political stance, asking "How can they sleep, the ones who send young men and women off to pointless war?" Of course the wry and intelligent wit we've come to expect from Kristina Simms abounds in this volume, and fans will not be disappointed. I just find the serious undercurrent in much of this poetry most compelling, and believe that The Anytown Parade shows that Ms. Simms isn't merely recording our lives and times; she may well be influencing them." - Annette Cotter

• "I began reading quietly, but then couldn't stop exclaiming to my friends: "Hey--listen to this!" I read aloud for a full hour. We laughed, we cried, and we remembered something about who we are as humans. Funny and poignant, rich and compassionate, Simms' poetry paints word-images that will sing to your soul." - Daphne Stevens, Ph.D.

• "Kristina Simms draws the ordinary in extraordinary ways. Driving behind an old green truck, she is reminded of the "old green truck" that frustrated Moses and another that thwarted the Trojans. She watches the cleverness of construction next door, but when roofers climb to the heights she must stifle a motherly, "You boys get down from there." A favorite piece lauds a "cure-all" salve for the poet's aching knee. (She's tempted to apply it to Washington's obstinate pates until they "gleam with sanity.") Offerings in "Anytown Parade" are as varied as marchers - humorous, insightful and thought provoking. It's a collection that will be fun to share." - Nancy Manning