Cobbled together from old reviews and essays, a 2000 lecture about writing, his post-9/11 journal, and some newer work, this short collection presents poet and biographer Saroyan's (Complete Minimal Poems
) reflections on writing, politics, and poetics. Saroyan, who in 1965 created his self-described “notorious one-word poem,” “lighght,” proves prolix in his prose. He implies that the L.A. Times
rejected his post-9/11 pieces because of his anti–Bush administration stance. His style is repetitive—for instance, he says three times in 10 pages that the “Star Wars” missile shield wouldn't have protected us on 9/11. Another piece, “Shifting Light,” is Saroyan's somewhat hazy attempt to tie the theory of relativity, infinity, the speed of light, and quantum mechanics to perception, death, and “self-dispossession.” Still, there are occasional gems. About a Giacometti work, Saroyan writes: “There is that sculpture of the dog, ravaged by [the light] as if about to disappear in it, and still just a dog, in the swing of his trot.” Readers well versed in poetry schools of the 20th century may enjoy his remarks; those less knowledgeable will want easy access to Google (for example, “H.D.” goes unexplained). (Apr.)
