Letter to the Editor

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.