(A brief comment will help here. This book, the Inconclusive Rule, has four sections—in order they are: “Ordinarily, I …”; “Or I …”; “Julia & Jules”; and “Song.”)

“I like the book very much, especially parts 2 and 3.  For me, “Or I..” is about putting order in experience, or perhaps understanding the connections between all of the varied experiences one has in life. This is one of my personal obsessions, so I may be reading myself into them.  There is also a wonderful way you set your personal experiences into a background of the natural world.  The photos also echo some of this comfort with yet wonder at the landscapes of your youth and simple things like flowers.  “Julia and Jules” is delightful, both whimsical and philosophical.  I love your fascination with simple words ( “is”, “in”). Your rhythms are confident .

“All in all, a fine collection. …  Pieces like “curriculum vitae” are better than most of the poems in the New Yorker (in my opinion).”   Mary Anne O’Neil, 5/21/2018