In Mediterranean Air

Ann Stanford

Ask any hundred published, working poets in America what their favorite modern (post-WW2) book of poetry is. I'd be willing to bet at least five would drop Ann Stanford's name. If you're laying odds, I'd also bet that over half of those would mention In Mediterranean Air as the particular book.

That Stanford's work still occasions such praise in the modern poetry world, where "ephemeral" is the term of choice to describe almost all poets, is astounding. For the most part, Stanford's work does a wonderful job holding up over time. The title piece of this collection, a series of short poems that brings to mind though without the love of linguistic trickery) John Hollander's Reflections on Espionage, is especially striking. There are a few times when things come off sounding a bit wooden, or unpoetic, but those are few and far between.

A good collection. If you've not heard of Ann Stanford, this is a perfect way to acquaint yourself.