I first encountered George Amabile's poetry in "Presence of Fire," which won the 1983 Canadian Authors Association's prize for the best poetry book of the year. Since then, I have sought our George Amabile's poetry wherever I can. Although the best way to appreciate his work is to hear him read it aloud, his poems do not suffer terribly when read on the page, because he takes such care to ensure that they read well.

At once cerebral and romantic, Amabile is one of our generation's truly great poets. Tragically, he writes in an age when not enough people appreciate poetry. Highly recommended to both poetry fans and people who just like to read.