How Chet Baker Died

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"The first words in Barry Gifford's new poetry collection say it all--"Here I am wasting time again / writing poems to keep myself company"--doing what he has ever done, surprising his readers in kaleidoscopic prisms of color, turning every breath into a story, and himself into his most colorful character. The mystery in these poems lives just beyond the province of words. In a strange way, Barry Gifford's poems tell a wordless story, freed of the writer's art. "It's dangerous to remember / so much, especially for a writer / The temptation to make sense / of it is always there / where you and I / are no longer." Daily life, family and friends, are much more important here than books. The beauty and elusiveness of women and music are of utmost importance, far more so than literature. As he attests: "I prefer music to poems, words don't live the same way--so, listen.""-- Provided by publisher