Worshipful Company of Fletchers

Rating:
Summary: Tate will one day be seen for his incredible talent, we hope
Review: The thing that makes me laugh is that Tate has one of the most unique and insightful ways of looking at the world, and yet he is read so very little. It's a classic case of the public at large not catching on to what is really happening in this world. This book in particular shows a wealth of maturity in his work that didn't really show up until the Eighties. He is able to sythesise the forms of speech that people use to plump themselves up so well that you can only identify with him as a fellow observer. In particular, the poem 'I Got Blindsided' is a high point.

While the field of study into Tate's work may be a little sparse now, I believe that he has the skill and attention to the details of American life which will make him one of the truly great writers to come out of the age of the hippies.

Rating:
Summary: "The Nitrogen Cycle"
Review: This book is the key to the closet, where we keep everything that we never use and rarely want. Tate has a keen gift of putting a tear in one eye and a wrinkle in the other. This is where he is most commonly misunderstoond. A friend of mine, after reading Tate's latest book told me that he felt the poet was merely trying to show how silly and zany that he could be. His poems are often funny and even absurd, but there is a painful sadness hidden in them. "The Nitrogen Cycle" puts a smile on your face. But, the next minute you are pondering the frail nature of the human mind. This book should be read with plate of cookies and dull knife.