Well, I don’t know her other work, so I’m happy (though not surprised) to hear it’s equally worthwhile. And it’s always gratifying to hear that a blog post about a book I was enthusiaastic about has prompted someone to track down the book. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Thanks! Yeah, I like linking to the Open Library site for online reviews because it offers the option of Amazon, Alibris, Powells, etc.

These Happy Eyes is now available at Amazon, Alibris and some other good online places. But yeah you’re right, more libraries should carry this one. It’s that beautiful, and definitely worthwhile. Libraries seem to ignore prose poetry in general! Love your image of the pages bristling with your own index card bookmarks. You are a born reviewer and make books come alive.

Glad you liked it, Laura.

Attention is central to good writing, but attention to grammar is only one aspect of that, and if the so-called rules are viewed as invariable, they can really hamper the imagination, I think. There are all kinds of totally bogus rules, such as the one against ending with a preposition, or the prejudice against double negatives. Sometimes even something as basic as subject-verb agreement might have to be broken for the good of the sentence.

I’m with you Laura. I too get compulsive, frequently at the cost of the prose. Which is why it’s good to have Dave put it in perspective. It makes me happy to hear him say that grammar and the use of it shouldn’t necessarily be central to good writing, though I like to think that I’m not making a fool of myself!

OK.