DREAMS OF GLORY

In her first collection, Glaser (who contributes three excellent poems) crafts a strong selection of 30 poems about what girls are and can be. A third of them falls under the heading of ``Sports,'' although there are mentions of sports in both other sections, arbitrarily titled ``Power'' and ``Dreams of Glory.'' Many fine poets, not all of them familiar, are included; the book yields some unforgettable gems. Gertrude Stein's ``I am Rose'' and Kaye Starbird's ``Abigail'' (``Among the roses, she was a thorn'') stand out, as does Eve Merriam seeing in a ``Thumbprint'' her signature: ``My universe key,/my singularity.'' Grit and determination are celebrated—from Myra Cohn Livingston's skater who puts spit on a cut knee and ``sticks out the other foot'' to May Swenson's ``Night Practice'' (``My will will remember to will''). Collins contributes a sturdy black-and-white frontispiece as well as realistic illustrations at the beginning of each section. Some of the verse is lightweight, but overall this is a very good collection. (Poetry. 8-12)