Ode to Certain Interstates and Other Poems

by Howard W. Robertson

Poetry. "Ode to certain interstates," the thirteen-part poem of this collection, was inspired by the year poet Howard W. Robertson worked as a long-haul truck driver in the American West and British Columbia. In between pauses at truck stops and rest areas, the author meditates on (among other matters) Kant, the Kalapuyans, Basho, and the "best buffet in the West." The eight additional poems in the book, such as "Ode to this small stick" and "The transcendental laughter of Eleanor," use a refined intelligence to probe the daily intersections of the sacred and banal. Howard W. Robertson is a retired research librarian. In 2003, he was awarded the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Prize for Poetry.

Genres: Poetry

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2004

About the author

Howard W. Robertson lives in Eugene, Oregon, where his ancestors arrived as members of the Lost Wagon Train of 1853. He has previously published two books of fiction and ten books of poetry. He has won the Sinclair Poetry Prize, the Robinson Jeffers Prize for Poetry, the Bumbershoot Award, and numerous other competitions. His work has been published in Nest, Literal Latté, Nimrod, Fireweed, and many other journals. His poetry has been anthologized in many collections, including The Clear Cut Future and The Ahsahta Anthology: Poetry of the American West. His work has been deeply influenced by a lifelong love of Russian literature. For more about Howard W. Robertson, see his webpage: www.howardwrobertson.com.