In addition to her marvelous craft and her patent relish of language, Dawn Potter impresses by the sheer range of her enterprise. She can write about Paganini and Otis Redding, compose wrenching narratives (Mr. Kowalski) and witty conceits (Love Poem from a Tiny Husband), terse, almost haiku-like lyrics (Dooryard) and gritty realist observations (Walking into Town). But whatever her approach, the poet is marvelously and rightfully self-assured,...