Improvising Rivers

by David Jauss

The unobtrusive technical mastery and almost classical precision of his style would alone be enough to make David Jauss's collection a notable one. But there is a unique depth and resonance in Jauss's work which is the real source of his accomplishment. Like Flaubert, Chekhov, and the jazz musicians who figure as tutelary spirits in his collection, Jauss sees the exercise of style as a form of pilgrimage to the human heart. And he knows the heart in all of its intricacies, misery, and spendor. It is hardly the fashion anymore to label a book as noble - but no other word will suffice. -- David Wojahn

Genres: Poetry

83 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Daniel Grear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jauss' style seems catered to my poetic tastes; he's not overly verbose, is always narrative-minded, and rarely indulges in things abstract. That said, the poems in "Improvising Rivers" that center on imagining himself into the lives of famous jazz musicians--there are quite a few--are a bit indistinguishable.