Couture Collection

The poems in this book play upon the idea that one can fashion the self. Written in quatrains of short lines piled upon each other in such a way that they resemble a tall, thin fashion model on high heels, the poems employ a sophisticated vocabulary. Yet the fashioning aspect of the book is deeper than that. The book begins with two pouty reflections by a woman poet about self-worth, as she contemplates poets of the past and their fame and her role within that tradition. It closes with an affirmation that pleasure and God are one and are the source of all poetics. The cast of characters includes cats and Jesus, fashion designers and famous poets, and Emily Dickinson as the ruling central lady. Not a book to be read quickly or skimmed over lightly, its vocabulary embodies coding "like filigree, like riddles, like runes." It can be thought of as a record of a mystical trance or a deeply intellectual examination of the questions it raises or implies. Contains a glossary that is both enlightening and entertaining.