Songs for a Summons

Like those of Robert Frost-or Tu Fu-David Guterson's poems often find transcendence in the natural world, in particular the mountain ranges and island landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. But his sources are many - history, literature, contemporary culture - and what unites this fine debut collection of poetry is not limited to place. It is, instead, an acutely honed awareness, one that takes us from a spent match head's black thorn to a contemplation of the emptiness of form: "When the last leaf is off the tree / celebrate illusion".