Breath's Burial by Gustaf Sobin. New Directions, 1995.
Deer Head Nation by k. silem mohammad. Tougher Disguises, 2003.



Why do I resist Sobin, find him pretentious, mannered? Is it the lack of humor, of modesty, in his work that turns me off? I would not argue with someone who finds his work compelling. I can certainly appreciate its claims on me, but I still resist it.

On the other hand, I've always gotten Kasey's work. I've had this book for five or six months, and dip into it frequently. I like how a single line works on three or four different levels: as found object, as found object ironized by the poet, as cultural referent, as part of the larger poem, etc...