In An Early Picking, Barry Louis Polisar’s candid and contemplative poems reflect the landscape of late twentieth-century American life. Gathered around the kitchen table, we listen as the storyteller unfurls tales of his early adulthood, poems of a young man finding his way against the backdrop of family, college, love, heritage, and the end of the Vietnam War. “The old scripts were so simple,” the poet says. “Those were the days of easy answers.” This slim collection is a soup of the best kind, bringing out the poems that have been waiting patiently at the back of Polisar’s pantry for their chance to be savored. There’s a beautiful balance of flavors here—between moments of humor and sincerity, between the sweetness of whimsy and the salt of solemnity. There’s also a cheeky humor and playful tone underlying even the more somber subjects of peace talks, heartache, and loss. As this pot of poems simmers on the stove, “we grow fatter and let our guards down”—this harvest is a full one.

Please note: This book is not a children’s title and is not included in Barry’s public school visits.