Wet

Stern adopts a conversational, intimate, and humorous tone in this poetry collection, distilling broad concepts into sparkling little gems. Relatable and engaging, Stern is most successful in her numerous brief poems and manages to do a lot in a condensed space: "January,/ and the roses/ are shivering." At times, she embraces a more serious affect, though without the benefit of a songwriting collaborator%E2%80%94as in her formative time working with singer-songwriter Carole King%E2%80%94the poems read closer to doggerel: "The rock stars are planning a concert,/ The poets are writing a poem./ Each and every one of us/ Forsaken and/ Alone." Still, while these offerings lack the charm of her more successful poems, they possess some substance and appeal. There are a number of occasions where Stern's poems border on kitsch, unnecessarily employing strange fonts and symbols to make her points. The collection is a mixed bag, but fans of her lyric work in the '60s and '70s might find it worthwhile. (BookLife)