Famous Persons We Have Known

by Richard Robbins

In this collection of poems we indeed meet the famous persons promised in the Lon Chaney, Jr. buying eggs and bananas at a Capistrano Beach supermarket; Elvis "slipping out / with raccoons and owls to buy pink / Cadillacs for anyone that moved him;" Marshal Dillon, his head split by a surfing mishap; even Geronimo, galloping back toward nature, "ruined for love." But this books is about more than famous people. From the car and kokanee-chocked waters of Montana to an art gallery in Utah where the narrator doesn't meet a famous poet laureate, Robbins traces his own heritage and ours by connecting past and present, the dead and living. He does so with sly humor, a naturalist's precision, and a potent lyricism. The cumulative effect is that of a building rhythm that echoes our own trembling relationship to the land that somehow sustains us―"because," as the narrator says in "Bread," the collection's final poem, "feeding / the hungry is what it's always all about."

Genres: Poetry

Paperback

First published September 25, 2000

About the author

Richard Robbins studied with Richard Hugo and Madeline DeFrees at the University of Montana, where he completed his MFA. He has published seven books of poems, most recently The Oratory of All Souls, which Lynx House Press released in 2023. He has received awards from The Loft, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Society of America. From 1986-2014, Robbins directed the Good Thunder Reading Series at Minnesota State University Mankato, where he recently retired from the creative writing program.

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an extraordinary collection of poems! I was amazed on how Robbins seamlessly threads these poems with eclectic content, including famous people, breath-taking landscapes, and family of his own. Robbins imbeds matters of the heart and soul into his lyrical vistas. All of these poems held my attention with both intricacy and clarity. Robbins doles out the poetic with a deft hand. The famous depicted within were captivating, and Robbins poetic canvas is truly beautiful. This collection will remain on my shelf with the intent of future readings and reexaminations. This collection of poetry is not to be missed!