“Wonderful. . . . Fifty years of slow-dawning epiphany.” —San Francisco Bay Guardian“This is a generous selection of work by an important poet of the New York School. Known for his relationship to the art world, Bill Berkson writes a critically astute, witty (`no rest for liquidity’), and lyrically present poetry. The push of his work is upward (buoyancy and spirit) and outward into the real . . . But the purely poetic, as seen in his wonderful translation of Heine (`Selfsame source of all love’s flows— / Lily, dove, sun and rose’) is also present, with its binding force and knowing glance.” —Paul Hoover“I’d like to thank Bill Berkson for: epitomizing objectivity & subjectivity; amusedly living in the cerulean blue, alizarin crimson mixed with titanium white, & burnt sienna world we’ve got; & writing for us.” —Bernadette Mayer"Portrait and Dream is a rich collection, spanning fifty years of work. The only way to do it justice is to read and re-read it. It's a fine book."—Galatea Resurrects"What remains engaging in all of Berkson's writing is how each poem and how every essay continues to be so distinctively and affectionately rendered."—Jacket2, interview with Berkson
