Charles O. Hartman's eighth book of poems, Downfall of the Straight Line, vibrates with dazzling rhythms, masterful syntax, linguistic wit, and descriptions that are precise and surprising at the same time. From a dead backyard tree to a Greek city, from a lovers' bed to a lost lover, the poems display both intellectual depth and emotional complexity. We hear the voices of pianos, a donkey, and the supernova birthing the Crab Nebula; we watch as the poet scrutinizes the moon, and listen as he contemplates death, "a sudden change in plans for the afternoon." Hartman wastes no words: every stanza shows a nimble mind at work. Downfall of the Straight Line is a book to read with attention and delight. And then to read again.
