A Robot Named Chip

While Patterson notes that these poems were ""chosen for their content and wisdom, rather than the popularity or esteem of the poet,"" the contributors include such familiar figures as Rita Dove, Alice Walker, Ntozake Shange, Derek Walcott and others. Arranged in sections with clearly descriptive titles (e.g., Advice/Wisdom, Need/Want, Seduction), the poems offer straightforward, rhythmic accounts of praise and sorrow, with both men and women explicit in expressing sexual desires. Among the notable poems are Quincy Troupe's ""You Come to Me,""' with its refrain, ""Woman, eye want to see""; Phyllis M. Bynum's ""Chocolate Man"" and ""Love Letter"" from Pearl Duncan: ""I simmered/ 100% juicy/ the last blackberry/ of the vine."" Substantially revised from the original 1973 edition, this anthology begins with a foreword by Ruby Dee. (Feb.)