Book: The Last Skin

Author: Barbara Ras

Book: Phantom Noise

Author: Brian Turner

Reviewer:  John Balaban, Professor of English, Poet in Residence

On a recent trip to Texas and the Big Bend, I took with me two new books of poetry: Barbara Ras’ The Last Skin, and Brian Turner’s Phantom Noise.   This is Ras’ third book of poetry and perhaps her finest inspection of our public and private quandries.  For Turner, the Iraqi War veteran whose first book Here, Bullet caused a huge stir, this collection is a powerful extension of his humane insight with poems like “Al-A’Imma Bridge”.