I tried to stop reviewing books a few years back because I found it awkward and constraining knowing most of the authors whose books interested me. I've fallen off the wagon a little bit lately because a couple editors who have been good to me have asked for reviews, but I'm trying not to make a habit of it.
If I were still reviewing books, one of the ones I would want to do would be Light for the Orphans (Story Line Press 2002) by Wilmer Mills. First, let me make an aside that would be tacky in a formal review but I can do here in the bosom of friends. Despite the occasional backbiting by the Hezbollah wing of New Formalism, it is fantastic to see Story Line Press back in action. As most of you know, this press has published a significant percentage of essential New Formalist books--the Rebel Angels and A Formal Feeling Comes anthologies, as well as first books by Tim Murphy, Kate Light, David Mason and other underappreciated authors. Story Line went into receivership over a year ago amid much turmoil, and there was considerable doubt that it would continue.
Light for the Orphans is one of the books long delayed by this turmoil. It is a splendid book, and a perfect statement for Story Line redux.
Wilmer Mills is a southern agrarian poet in the truest sense of the term. As regionalism became trendy again in the past decade, there have been many "Southern" writers who remind me of the joke about faux Texans--"all hat, no cattle". The loving detail of Mills' sceneries authenticate his vision, but you can also feel his connection to his culture in his sense, so strong in the rural South, that Scripture helps define reality:

I've thought of wire, and even traps.
The hardware stores have motion lights
That flare when vermin try to eat
Your plants. But now I've given up.
It seems each garden has a way
To keep another creture out,
Like Eden's curse repeated now
And then. ("Last Thoughts, Going To Sleep")

I think of Noah's nightmare-job;
To gather pairs of all the snakes
In Paradise-gone-mad, the ones
He would have killed if word had not
Come down to bring them two by two. ("A Codex For Killing")

The poems that dominate this book are muscular blank verse narratives and dramatic monologues, such as the memorable "Journal Of A Deer Hunter". These poems are reminiscent of Andrew Hudgins at his finest, particular the Hudgins of The Never-Ending. Sometimes the narratives are more formal, as in "A Foster Mother's Thought Of Christmas" or less so, as in the stunning "The Dowser's Ear", but they are almost always powerful.
Given the strong overall flavor of the book, it would be easy to miss a handful of striking poems that are radically different from the most prominent ones. For instance, "The Last Castrato" is a haunting meditation seemingly disconencted from the narratives and monologues except by the skilled use of iambic pentameter.
Mills is not well-known, even in our small formalist community, probably because he is not persistent in pursuing publication. Poems in this collection have appeared in Poetry and The Hudson Review, but a majority of them are previously unpublished. Mills low profile may make it hard for this book to sell, which would be too bad for the author, the reinvigorated Story Line (www.storylinepress.com) and readers of poetry who would love this book if they knew they should look at it.

What Mike said. Will is the genuine article, and I urge everyone to get his book.

Thanks, Mike, for the heads-up and recommendation. It is always a joy to come upon a "new" poet. The book is going in my cyber shopping cart. Good news about Story Line, too.

Mike, thanks for mentioning Wil's terrific, new book. I have known Wil slightly and admired him greatly for many years. He actually was at West Chester this summer with his charming wife (who was briefly my colleague at Belmont, but has gone on to better things) and their two beautiful kids.
Wil is a great guy as well as a wonderful poet, and I am certain that we'll be hearing a lot more from him.

"The poems that dominate this book are muscular blank verse narratives and dramatic monologues..."

Ah. I'll check him out.

Bob

Mike,

I just finished Wilmer's book. I heard him read at one of the First Book Panels this year at West Chester, and I ran straight to the bookstore to pick up his book. For an informal review of a book, you hit on everything I liked about it. I think there are only a couple of poems that don't fall into the narrative category, which is probably why I like it so much.

One question, what is "the Hezbollah wing of New Formalism"?

jason

Jason: Thanks for the kind words. Look, I'm a partisan for formal verse as much as almost anyone around, but I don't believe that metrical experimentation or, heaven forbid, even free verse is an evil thing. I post really bad free verse here myself from time to time. There are a few out there who are very critical of poets and presses who embrace anything other than a very narrow formalism, and they have been fairly vocal about tearing down Story Line over the years. My view is that they didn't help the press at all, and the formal-friendly community should have tried to be more supportive of Story Line than it was.
Now, in the past few years did I pick up the book of the winner of the Roerich Prize and say, "What were they thinking?" after they had recognized such splendid poets as David Mason, Kate Light and Greg Williamson in the early and mid-90's? Sher. Durn right. But we all are entitled to a little slack in matters of judgment, and the McDowells did a lot of great things at significant personal cost over the years, and I just feel they took too much undeserved flak from people who should have been finding a way to help (but I ain't naming names).

[This message has been edited by Michael Juster (edited June 20, 2002).]

I just want to second (or third or fourth) what Mike Juster said. I just finished Will's book and was favorably impressed by it. It's a very solid first book, and Will Mills is a young poet to watch. Also met him at last year's West Chester and found him a charming and soft-spoken fellow. His work is grounded in family, work, a locale, and even a religious faith, which makes his work rare indeed.

I also second Mike in his words of support for Story Line. Think of the books and poets you never would have heard of if not for Story Line. Believe me, the other small and university presses out there aren't beating the bushes for new formal poetry. So get hold of a catologue or the press's web site and order some books. Who else will be there to publish your first collection?

Well Mike, I am a fan of all good poetry (and some bad) regardless of whether it is free or formal verse. I do like a good narrative, which is why I liked Mills book so much. I have noticed that there are some of those who seem to have a hatred for all things not formal (I've taken to calling them the Rabid Formalists). I don't know the whole story behind Story Line Press and what has been going on in the past and what is going on now, but I know Story Line is one of my favorite publishers. Some of my favorite books come from Story Line (I quit counting at ten) and quite a few that I haven't read yet, but that I am really looking forward to. I'd say overall it has been a great press. I'm sure they've made a few mistakes, but who hasn't? No, Story Line has my support.

jason

Resounding agreement from me, both on the defense of Story Line Press, to which we all owe a lot, and on the excellence of Wil's book. I read it on the train trip home from West Chester; it made me twice as sorry to have missed his reading. His narratives are compelling, his characters are oddities we can care about and feel with, and the ideas behind his poems are subtle and understated.

Michael

Thanks for the introduction.

For others, who like myself have not read anything by this poet, here's a link to a poem on the Poetry website

http://www.poetrymagazine.org/featured_poet_061799.html

Real good stuff.

~Greg