Little Black Book

<p class=ql-align-justify>These poems are both daring and precisely made. There is powerful longing here and without a carefully measured restraint this emotive force could derail the poems but they remain richly evocative and ask for the reader to be present in numerous and surprising ways.</p><p class=ql-align-justify><strong>-Tim Seibles</strong> Poet Laureate Emeritus of Virginia</p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify>We look for truth in poetry; but some poets tell the truth better than others; and so we have Chad Frame's <em>Little Black Book </em>with lists/poems of male lovers. Frame has the skill and talent to change circumstances and incidents to artistry gifted with the authenticity we want in a poem. We tell our students Be more like yourself more and more each poem. Now we can just say Read Chad Frame. He's not afraid of fear; he's not ashamed of shame. Plato talks of pleasure/pain; and neuroscientists can now measure it; but nowhere do we know more its balance than in fine poetry. Part autobiography almost novella-in-verse we have characters situations and plot elevated by craft and lyric to make poetry. Frame ends his book with the words 'this buoyant heart is yours'-We say ours too. <em>Little Black Book</em> moves poetry forward.</p><p class=ql-align-justify><strong>-Grace Cavalieri</strong> Poet Laureate of Maryland</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>