Praise for Lust:
“Diana Raab’s poetry collection, Lust, will make you fall head-over- heels in love with words. Words that are strung together, knotted like a perfect strand of opera length pearls. Some read like heartbreaking short stories. Some read like pieces of your soul. Some read like scented love-letters. Some like tearful, regretful voice messages. If you want to have a love affair with the written word, please, read this collection. It will make you a believer. Or maybe…just maybe, it will make you a believer in the pure absolute beauty of Diana Raab.”
~Amy Ferris, author of Marrying George Clooney and Confessions From A Midlife Crisis
“In the lyric tradition of Song of Songs, Rumi, Lady Murasaki, and Anais Nin, poet Diana Raab sings of carnal desire. The themes of Lust, the transcendence of sexual ecstasy, the range of its expression, the sorrow of its temporality, the surprise of its renewal in maturity, the physicality of its intimacy, are, at once, timeless and as contemporary as Raab’s short leather skirt and an espresso shared at Starbucks.”
~Tristine Rainer, author of Your Life as Story and The New Diary
“Diana Raab in this daring book offers what shouldn’t be so remarkable, yet is, a fearless detailing of intimacy, of blissful ‘acts of kindness,’ of that worshipful sexuality which forms our birth—and adult right. Lust celebrates the sacred ‘everlasting eros’ that we must admit most interests us, the giving and taking, the ultimate bonding, the very enlightenment through glories of the body. She sings ‘your oasis in the midst of me,’ and bless her for it!”
~Barry Spacks, Poet Laureate Emeritus, Santa Barbara
“Diana Raab’s Lust overflows with lust for the forbidden, lust that can become love, and lust for the poem that can represent human passions at their highest and lowest tides. These poems are propelled by an energy of ‘oozing sensual adrenaline.’ Desire deepens as bodies change—in sickness and in health, between a blush and a sigh—and Raab’s language for desire is always ready to get up and dance about the room.”
~Tony Trigilio, Director of Creative Writing/Poetry, Columbia College Chicago
“Daring, delicious, mesmerizing and just this side of dangerous, Diana Raab’s poems extol lust’s ecstasy, luxuriate in its all-consuming passion, and, when lust is spent, languish in its painful aftermath. These poems explore the human condition from the female perspective; from the perspective of a person in love with lust.”
~Alexis Rhone Fancher, Author of How I Lost My Virginity To Michael Cohen & Other Heart Stab Poems, poetry editor of Cultural Weekly
“This is a gorgeous book of poetry. It is as hot as you would expect, given the title. Many of the poems reveal scorching, intimate moments between passionate lovers. But these poems go way beyond erotica. What makes them special for me is how they call forth the essence of intimacy’s gifts. For instance, in one of my favorite selections, ‘Create,’ the first line evokes the very nature of what love offers us: ‘Make me the person I want to become, draw from me the secrets buried under, the facade of responsibilities.’ Wow. Buy this book for everyone you know who lusts…and loves.”
~ Charlotte Rains Dixon
“Diana Raab’s fifth book of poems dives deep into the compulsive heart of love and sex without restraint. This is a love of middle age, rich in desire, steeped in experience, and vulnerable too, with a speaker who connects totally with her lover, shadowed by the knowledge of disconnection, loss, even betrayal. It is herself, and her own body, scarred yet blooming, that remains constant.
‘The day after you left / I sat on the ledge of my desires / and spun an intangible invisible web / suspended around my essence’ she writes in ‘Remnants’. Raab’s intimate poems return the reader time after time to loving kindness, the glue that binds us and the balm that heals.”
~ Mary-Sherman Willis
“In Lust, Diana Raab celebrates the human capacity for passion, intensity and pleasure. In particular, these erotic poems explore pleasures deeply rooted in physical sensation. Much of the collection’s narrative depicts the speaker engaged in an intense sexual affair with a dynamic lover. While one may read the series of poems as a memorable account of a relationship, I see the affair as a metaphor for something larger. The lover, who is referred to as a muse, a drug, even a healer, seems to personify lust itself. I see the affair as the speaker’s personal dance with Eros. Through this dance, the speaker is enlightened. She experiences the extremities of sexual pleasure, but also, as living with lust intensifies her sensitivities and vulnerabilities, she encounters disappointment and grief. And while she revels in moments of ecstasy, she also acknowledges that those moments are fleeting. Lust may be fickle, unpredictable, and ephemeral. Clearly, if one lives with lust, he or she may encounter risks and challenges. Nevertheless, Raab’s poems suggest that a life lived with passion is worth that risk. This is a book of life-affirming poems that celebrate a personal quest for passion and joy.”
~ Marcene Gandolfo
“Diana Raab’s latest poetry collection, Lust, is a veritable cornucopia of luscious, lusty, ‘whoa baby!’ poems that give erotica a good name. Tantalizing and sexy, this collection oozes with sensuality, love, desire, fear and regret – all the emotions that come with loving someone, figuratively and literally.”
~Marcia Meier
“Diana Raab throws the door wide open to hotel rooms, bedrooms, and jungles where instinct and desire are uncensored, truth tumbles out, sprawled across the sheets. When a woman bares her body, heart, and soul across the pages of a boldly titled book, the stars shine and align in affirmation of honesty, vulnerability and courage. Brava for Diana’s bare and bold LUST.”
~ Janet Lucy
“If you are in love or lust, or preferably both, or once were, or still hold out hope, Diana Raab’s “Lust” is a book for you. Many of Raab’s poems feel spontaneous . . . although it’s likely a measure of her great skill.”
~ S.K. Figler
“The feelings aroused by sex, love and loss are so rich and intense that we struggle to name their nuances. Diana Raab does a fine job of this . . . I admire her skill at describing states of ecstasy so well while scarcely naming a body part.”
~ Phil Mayes
“Lust by Diana Raab is a collection of erotic and romantic poetry, a person’s most inner being . . . Raab’s poetry speaks of tenderness and the delight of escape through flights of love, and yet there is a sadness that lurks beneath the surface of these erotic fantasies. It’s like a loneliness that lingers after giving readers a glimpse into love and the disappointment of a relationship . . . I can easily say all of these poems have left an impression on me and I would avidly recommend this collection.”
~ Lanise Brown
“Beautiful. Provocative, dramatic, passionate words. I keep this by my bed and read a selection every night. Time richly spent.”
~ R.L. Black
“Sensuous and moving, Lust is about what it means to be a woman in love with life.”
~ Darlyn Finch Kuhn
“This collection of poems expresses in everyday imagery, the depth of intimacy. The words draw you in to explore a vulnerable and fragile space.”
~ Gusterous
“Diana invests her poetry with the light of simple truths, like loneliness and desire, the passage of time, the hunger that is never quite satiated . . . she writes about a committed love, still passionate after children and decades — despite age and utter familiarity, or perhaps because of these . . . Poems to stir your mind as much as your libido. I highly recommend these.”
~ Susan Wyler
“…There is something for everyone in this book of poetry whether you like it light and lyrical or stormy and passionate. It is creative, honest, funny at times, and an authentic reflection of a woman who lives and loves without holding anything back. The author writes with honesty, candor, and a refreshing soulfulness that I love.”
~ Julie D.
“…This is a lovely, thoughtful and joyously lustful collection of intimate times. Well-done.”
~ Carl Brookins
“Human emotions expressed through poetry. Diana Raab covers all aspects of love and life, its ups and downs, while using provocative and sensual words delicately placed on each page. As our eyes grasp what the author wants to share, our hearts and soul absorb the intimacy. Read a poem a night, alone or with a lover. Enjoy ‘Lust’, by Diana Raab.”
~ Mary Crocco
“Poet Diana Raab does a great job of displaying appreciation of sexuality at any age. It seems as though the poet takes readers on her sexual journey through life. Some moments are explicit and some are just full of love and appreciation. When read from cover to cover, the poems form one big story.”
~ Nsikan Abasi
“…The poetry is written in free verse, which means it doesn’t rhyme. Instead, it gets a great deal of its power through its use of language and symbolism – and Diana Raab is a master of both. As Diana says of lust, ‘the more you get, the more you want,’ and she’s right. When I’d finished, I wanted more.”
~ User Me
“Lust is the fourth book of poetry by Diana Raab. The book explores the emotional and physical intimacy of love, painting brief pictures of private moments shared between individuals and the complex feelings that they evoke…I would recommend reading ‘Lust’ if you are in the mood for some sensual poetry. Pour yourself a glass of wine or a cup of tea, curl up under a soft blanket, and sink into the beauty and heartache that Diana Raab’s words portray.”
~ Grace T.
“…I do feel qualified to say that this anthology of poetry is fearless, and more honest that many people feel comfortable with. For that, I am truly glad to have read it.”
~ Tiffany A. Harkleroad
“Amazing poetry, very intimate without being overtly so. I found myself drawn to the speaker’s voice in each poem. I found myself forgetting I was reading poems about sex and just enjoying the rich, sensual language.”
~ Heather Sell
“This wonderful book of poetry is steamy at times. All of the poems are very well written with long and hard thoughts put in each one…”
~ Gayle Pace
“These are the kind of poems you read cover-to-cover over a coconut latte…Overall, I’m quite taken with the work Raab has done. While the lusty may get another reader, the tenderness and the seeing and the underneath boiling draw me in, like here, in one of my favorite moments in which she speaks of her grandmother:
‘I remember/grandma telling me always/want sex because it keeps/your heart beating fast/and your essence vibrant/while on the outside/you stand counting the minutes/for the hard-boiled eggs.’
As Raab would say, oh, ‘this tizzy makes me dizzy.’ Looking forward to more from Raab.”
~ User Reader88
“I feel very moved by these poems, and quite a few of them resonated with me…I do think everyone should read these poems, as everyone (generally) is trying to find love/ be loved. This book reminded me of why I love poetry so much- so much is conveyed in the smallest verses.”
~ Randi Bell, Book & Candle Blog Reviews
“My goodness, what can I say about this one. *wipes sweat from brow* This one is a steamy, highly thought out, well done poetry collection of the highest order. I will do my best to give it justice. Sometimes, I find myself feeling intimidated by poetry. Poetry when done correctly, is deeply thought provoking and this one is definitely that…”
~ Rich Weber
“In Lust, Diana Raab celebrates the human capacity for passion, intensity and pleasure. In particular, these erotic poems explore pleasures deeply rooted in physical sensation…”
~ User CommaLady3
“Wow this book of poems really went deep into my soul. It brought me sadness, heat, excitement, love and surrender. Diana really can put words together that make you feel like your in the book feeling all this passions and desires… I highly recommend you read this book…”
~ Yary D.
“Diana Raab invests her poetry with the light of simple truths we all enjoy and endure, like loneliness and desire, the passage of time, the hunger that is never quite satiated. In this particular collection, she writes about a committed love, still passionate after children and decades, still tremulous — despite age and utter familiarity, or perhaps because of these. Her writing is my favorite kind as she writes in a natural voice, the way one speaks, so the poems are close and accessible, with a sense of immediacy, even urgency. Poems to stir your mind as much as your libido. I highly recommend these.”
~ S.M. Wyler
“Lust is captivating! These poems immediately grab the reader’s attention and hold onto it for the entirety of the book (seriously, I read the book cover to cover in one sitting). The poems in this collection explore the depths of human sexuality, longing, love and regret in a wondrous and very intimate way. It is definitely worth reading.”
~ Heather A.
