Singing Lessons

Michelle Bitting, Lin Benedek's latest collection, has a "morning glory," "French horn," "say salvation" soundtrack playing throughout the poems, which, above all, demonstrate that "women need to take up more space." From Marvin Gaye to Papa Haydn to variations on variations, you won't be able to keep yourself from humming along. Lynne Thompson, These poems blend all the senses, the nerves of the brain, and the blood of the heart. I admire the variety of their forms, studded with the images of Southern California, from the gritty to the gorgeous. Benedek's impulse is to tell a story, but she's never that far from a song. Joseph Millar,