Frank Samperi (1933–1991)

Oh because the best is the first and it extends and extends. There are shadows and there are not. And then there are birds. First I think Samperi had the right idea about not talking so long as you can make this plane of space and you can evoke some kind of experience in the stead of words. And you can stop rocking a while for reading it. And there are shadows of birds and birds in the shadows of things. And there really are things that evoke pleasure here. Because the poems exist. How could they not, the way they are, just there, just being there as opposed to playing it like they were sneaking out.… (more)

The last of the trilogy, but the first samperi that I picked up. This book is about shape and the city, two things that I intermittedly miss and don't. Samperi is the designer of white space and turning the pages is such a pleasure. Such a real pleasure. I don't remember any of the facts about this book, but I loved it enough to buy all three, the Grossman paperbacks, they aren't easy to get, and they are printed on this paper and they look good together on the shelf. It is true. Oh to look like that on the shelf.… (more)