Dear Editor,
When reading reviews such as Jason Guriel’s or William Logan’s—where the wit and erudition of the reviewer are the stars of the show, and the poetry plays a subordinate role—it may be best to be, as Guriel says, “necessarily skeptical.” The same goes for this sort of review’s step-sibling, the hyperbolic blurb. But when reading poetry itself, it is far more rewarding to do so with a healthy and courageous lack of skepticism. A good reader can’t help but find something engaging in the odd business of a book of poems. Disdain is easy. Negative reviews are chicken feed.
gunbarrel, colorado
Originally Published: May 1, 2009
Letter to the Editor