I was a student of Milton Kessler's back in the late 80s, and he was quite possibly the best teacher I ever had. Many, many other former students share this opinion (including Camille Paglia). This collection of his poems, already ten years old, is an interesting mix of lyric jewels and objectivist verse.The poet's influences (e.g., Charles Reznikoff and Walt Whitman, to name just two) show through, but make no mistake: This poetry is fresh, inventive, and original. Sadly, Kessler passed away in 2000. One can only hope that this greatly underrated poet will one day achieve the recognition (albeit posthumous) he deserves.