CALL STEPS

by Kenneth Irby

Call Steps  brings together three collections of a celebrated American poet, representing the years during which Irby wrote what critics consider his most powerful visionary work.

149 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a lot of work that has been hard to find put together in one book. Irby's voice is unique, and maybe not for everybody, but delicate and honest and puzzling sometimes. These poems retrace travels across the plains, through the eyes of scouts and trappers, lovers and biographers. An extremely literary book, it helps to know a bit about his sources, but the work is compelling anyway, and invariably leads me to other work. There is a strong melodic component to Irby's line, and the various asides he tosses around are often more to the point than they seem at first. Fascinating poetry from a true original. There should be a lot more of his work in print.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts I really liked; Etudes, for example. Many parts I found unfathomable.