Touching and down to earth. ( )

Whimsical, and obviously great fun for Mayer herself, but not much here for me, I'm afraid. No doubt the Helens of Troy, NY are all very nice, but either not much has happened to them or Mayer doesn't manage to explain what's happened to them. At the same time, you do get a good picture of the town itself, which at least hints at the general condition of post-industrial American life outside major urban centers, as well as a bit of a feeling for how we got here.

In short, ideal chapbook material. ( )

A charming chapbook and a charming concept. Bernadette Mayer writes a poem for each one of the Helens who live in the town of Troy, NY. The poems range from formal whimsy to experimental. Each poem is accompanied by a photo of said Helen in her natural environment. This book made me smile. I loved the poems where she uses the voice of the Helen she is portraying, you really get a sense of these women and the little town they live in. Playfulness abounds. ( )