Rife: Poems

Rife beautifully indulges the joy in wordplay all language lovers have. In each poem is a delightful discovery, a surprise in recognizing the event and the exactness of the poem's meaning and imagery. Stefanie Marlis has exceptional talent in both metaphor and revelation; her images subtly build into fresh vision. The poem "The World" describes bravery in the attempt to rewrite a friend's life, like "a threaded needle pulling you / to the other side of the cloth." If you like the poetry of James Dickey or Jorie Graham, you'll enjoy Marlis's Rife.