Erica Funkhouser is the author of four previous books of poems, including Pursuit and The Actual World. She is a lecturer in the department of writing and humanistic studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and lives in Essex, Massachusetts.
Funkhouser's ( Natural Affinities ) second book of poetry in 10 years is divided into two parts. In the first, 26 short poems range over a variety of subjects, including domestic life, death, love, friendship, loss--standard lyric themes; in the second are three long narratives told by the personae of Sacajawea, Louisa May Alcott, and Annie Oakley, the ``sure shot'' of the book's title. Narrative unifies the book; apparent lyrics are, in fact, small stories. And perhaps because there's so much story, the poems are accessible, pleasant to read, filled with details. But also because narrative dominates, all too often the moment of poetic discovery never occurs; it's subordinated to plot. The poet's father, she explains, was a man who ``taught us to worship facts.'' She was a good pupil--facts abound. In Funkhouser's long narratives, voices exist to convey these facts; they fall short of carrying the poet's vision. The best poems (and they are good) are written mostly in the first person, and contain the urgency of personal quest. The poet here gives up fact for the power of utterance, and the song she sings rings true. (Oct.)
A playwright as well as a poet, Funkhouser's ( Natural Affinities , LJ 6/1/83) second collection displays her fascination with voices. The three long narratives that comprise the book's second half are spoken by three historically significant women: the Shoshone guide of Lewis and Clark, Louisa May Alcott, and Annie Oakley. The writing in these poems is nicely crafted and the insights into Oakley's life particularly impressive, but Funkhouser's most moving poems are those in her own voice. The elegant lyrics that begin the book, sometimes verging upon confessional, are enlarged by her sensitivity for others, both human and animal. She lifts the blossoms of flowers to introduce herself; she and a companion halt an argument to hop out of the car and help a newly struck pheasant. ``Valentine,'' about the lover who wants her ``to try seeing/ without comparing,'' is a masterpiece. The poems in this book's first 50 pages are especially memorable, highly recommending the entire collection.-- Ro chelle Ratner, formerly Poetry Editor, ``Soho Weekly News,'' New York
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