NUDE DESCENDING A STAIRCASE

Although some of his poems have appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry, Paris Review, and Hudson Review, this is the first published collection for Mr. Kennedy, who is currently a member of the English department at the University of Michigan. We sample a wide range of forms from the satirical ballad ""The Man in the Manmade Moon"", two ""Blues"" lyrics, some clever jingles suggested by a 12th-century bestiary, and an enchanting, lyrical ""Rondeau"" celebrating the return of spring. The outstanding poem in the collection, in addition to the rhythmic and sensual title poem is called ""Landscapes With Set-Screws"" and describes a pair of a beautifully related landscapes which illuminate each other with metaphor and rhythm. His style matures in this pair of poems, and we eagerly await more of the same.