The Probable World Lawrence Raab

I'll just say right now that this is a nice book. It's not a blow-your-head-off kind of thing. I picked it up because of the first line of the first poem (which is probably the best beginning I've read in a long time):

First I'd like to thank God,
said the pilot,
shot down and rescued. Later

after the big game the best player
says it again, and the announcer
nods. It's right..

Yeah man. That's nice, simple, clean. The poem also has a snappy ending:

...That's what in His disappointment,
He must have decided, Stay back,
keep quiet, let them come to you.

I'm sure the full effect doesn't register, but I ain't gonna type the whole damn thing out. Just buy it. It's a nice book. It'll make you smile (and there's a funny looking picture of Raab himself on the back).

Not much to say about this one. I dug it. Alex, reading this over my shoulder one Sunday, said something quiet astute about Raab. He's an 'idea poet.' He's ironic. He's clever, but in a way that doesn't make me what to roll my eyes back into my skull.

Raab's been around for a while. I get the feeling that in his youth, he wrote a lot of political 'idea' stuff (which didn't really work). But I think age worked for this guy. His voice has grown very soft and kind. It still jabs in the right places, but you can smile when you finish this book. Right now, that's important for me.

I'd give this book a perky little thumb's up. However, I'm not sure if it's worth purchasing. Actually, you could camp out in a bookstore and read the whole thing in about two hours. (The book isn't much of a second read). That's what I would do if I were you... either get it half price (like I did) at the Strand, or take a little trip to the bookstore on some rainy Sunday. I would recommend reading this on a Sunday.