The poems in Hollander's 12th book of poetry, published simultaneously with his Selected Poetry , exhibit technical mastery, including rhyme and word play, but lack heart. They do not pulse with that "white heat" that Dickinson termed necessary for poetry. On the plus side, MacArthur Award Winner Hollander is skilled in the use of playful language. Consider his description of a New England river: "Connect... and Cut--those things all rivers do." The title poem is a reflection on death: "I who have walked in light now make my bed/ In the dark of which there's nothing to be said." It takes up about half the collection but for some reason has been subdivided, one part placed in each section of the book between other poems and thus detracting from the poem's mood and narrative drive. Other poetry topics include an old counting game, early inscriptions, and a painting by Edward Hopper. Not an essential purchase.

John Hollander (born October 28, 1929 in New York City) is an American poet and literary critic. As of 2007 he is Sterling Professor Emeritus of English at Yale University.