These are a series of poetic sketches (with drawings by Dan Nielsen) of various characters Estabrook has been thrust against. When he talks about "Joe Sold," we get a heavy drinking womanizer who's still going strong at 70. "John" is "irascible/ rude/ married/ nearing 40 yet/ he got the most/ beautiful/ woman in/ the building". "A Friend" admits that she is in AA, and is surprised when no one seems to be shocked at the news. There is even a short poem about "Patti", the author's wife, setting her angry frustrated unemployed eyes on Estabrook after finding no good jobs in the newspaper ads. These are fine thumbnail sketches that capture people in short glimpses of reality. The saddest thinghere was when I got to the end, and wanted to read more.--oberc
This review originally appeared in TapRoot Reviews #3,
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Copyright Burning Press 1993, 1995.