Dogs Dream of Running

I read Lehman's "Shrine of the Tooth Fairy" and was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book, "Dogs Dream of Running." These poems are full of spunk and insight. But what I like best is that the collection itself creates a picture of our times that is fascinatingly entertaining. There are real life encounters with Orson Welles, John Updike and Robert Mitchum as well as such diverse subjects as "two-fisted advertising," Alzheimer's disease, the teaching of high school English, film noir and even a trilogy on flying saucers. The poem "Nobody Recognizes Robert Mitchum in Vietnam" is the finest I have ever read on that conflict and the parody of writing workshops is laugh-out-loud funny. Even people who don't like poetry that much are going to enjoy the great storytelling of "Dogs Dream of Running." And for people who like poetry or teach it, this book is a must.