Dear Blackbird,

I can't say enough about Jane Springer's debut--this collection transcends the academy, brings smart and witty and deeply sad moments to life, all with a voice that is resonant and fresh. Her poems are literary, yet comic, serious, yet innocent. This is one of the best collections this year (possibly this decade) and can be appreciated by both the literary scholar and the poetry neophyte. It's a stunner, people. Get in line.

A teacher of English in the Creative Writing Program at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Jane Spring's poetry anthologized in the pages of "Dear Blackbird," won The Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry for 2007 and documents her impressive flair for free verse lyrics that are not restricted to the boundaries of ordinary stanza sequences or formats but are as original in their composition as they are in their content. Lovers of language and appreciators of poetry will enjoy the originality and engagement of Springer's deftly crafted verse. 'Quilts in a Pattern of Flower Gardens': Our grandmother cut/her patterns from/brown paper sacks then fit//flowers the size of/camels through/her nimble-swift needle// & Lord, what do you think of that/thimbleful of miracles?....

This collection introduces a new voice on the contemporary poetry scene, in particular a fresh addition to the Southern literary tradition. Springer writes with verve and wit and sometimes deadly pathos; her palette is largely drawn from small towns and small lives of the rural south, from Kentucky to Arkansas, and her imagery is arresting and decidedly unique. The "Dear Blackbird" poems serve as sort of markers through the collection (which does have a nice sense of cohesion) moving from despair, dissolution, to a kind of surreal redemption. If you enjoy the work of Larry Levis, Mark Strand, Rodney Jones, Wallace Stevens, or nearly anyone in the Southern poetry tradition (R.P. Warren, James Dickey, Donald Justice, Wyatt Prunty, etc.) then this is a collection to check out. It is no mystery why The Southern Review has championed her as their protege and best new poet from the South. Or, if you love arresting images, idiosyncratic narrative, if you simply love language, a turned phrase, the music of words, then there is much to enjoy here. I daresay if you simply grew up in a small town in the American south, you will find yourself in this collection. If you didn't, read on and find out what it was like.