A Mind of Winter: Poems for a Snowy Season

This is a warm little anthology that merits a spot on that little table next to the big armchair, not far from the fireplace. It's just small enough to be held by the hand that is not holding the coffee (or cognac). The selection by Robert Atwan is ecclectic; it focuses on contemporary poets, but also includes poems by Anne Bradstreet, Dickinson, Emerson, Longfellow, the Lowells (Amy and James Russell), and Frost, among others. The illustrations, woodcuts by Thomas Nason, are a delight. Readers will find a wide range of emotions here. Many of the poems are completely unsurprising and offer just what a reader would expect in an anthology of this sort. Others are wonderful surprises, especially, for example, Charles Simic's "Winter Night", a great little poem that captures the rich despair one might feel on a winter night in New England.

A MIND OF WINTER, like THE LANGUAGE OF SPRING, is one of those little gift books (for others and--why not--youself) that are works of art. In this one, you'll see how wonderful winter can be. Charming illustrations throughout and a great introduction by Donald Hall. For me, these anthologies are as important as having a set of encyclopedias or a good dictionary in your house. To be treasured for ever and handed down.