Reviews

The original subtitle to this book read, "80+ Poet's Notebook'
Columns from Creative Loafing," a journal from St. Petersburg,
Florida written by the current Poet Laureate of Florida, Peter
Meinke. In an earlier book, Truth and Affection, similar essays give
Meinke's take on American culture in a voice that has been described
as sensitive, compassionate, witty and wise. Since that book, Meinke
has continued to write his astute observations about American life
and how poetry can guide us toward a more spiritual and fuller life.
As David Warner, the Editor of that previous book writes in the introduction,
" 'Poet's Notebook' is difficult to define, a tasty bouillabaisse
of poetry, politics, and personal essay...winning hearts and
minds of all ages for six years now and a few awards along the way."
And later, "He [Meinke] is always more self-effacing than self-righteous--
warning that the urge to settle on a single answer is inevitably
dangerous. He is suspicious of absolutism of all kinds, happy to
skewer the divisive rhetoric of Tea Party mythologies and scientists'
quest for a Theory of Everything. He's more a fan of Chaos Theory
himself...."