In a recent review, Zenith City Weekly examined Barton Sutter's latest, The Reindeer Camps (BOA 2012), citing Sutter's rhythm-driven narrative style and quasi-autobiographical episodes that make his poetry so unique. The reviewer writes, "My favorites constitute slivers of memory, although ultimately whether they are autobiographical or creative inventions hardly matters to their validity or value." Regarding Sutter's "account" of reindeer herding in Siberia, the reviewer continues, "the details make the poems real, which is more important than merely being true." Sutter's collection is a thought-provoking reconsideration of life's complexity, and more importantly, simplicity. Read more about this new work at the BOA Bookstore! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="258" caption="author photo courtesy of mnartists.org"][/caption] From the poem The Reindeer Camps:

In reindeer winter hunting camps

Where we trap ermine, sable, wolf,

You have to wear a reindeer coat,

Keep reindeer blankets in the tent.

Nothing else will do. Only hollow

Reindeer hair will let you move and live

At 85 below. Always leave your coat outside

Because a tent can burn. Say you

Forget to feed the fire spirit;

Everything goes up.

You dive outside, your coat's inside,

Now what? Now what? You die.