Elaine Equi, Ripple Effect: New and Selected Poems (Coffee House Press, $18). This effervescent collection, which gathers two decades of Equi’s work with Coffee House Press as well as a handful of early poems, is one of those happy books that you can open to just about any page and find something to delight. Of her work, Equi has said, “I like the fact that for the most part, my poems are pretty accessible.” And it’s true; there’s a Rumi-esque directness to the work here, as well as a playfulness and wit, that’s wonderfully light-footed and sure (CAAF).
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
