What a great manual for writers of all kinds. Just soaking up Ted Kooser’s relaxed, confident voice is a pleasure. After reading the book, I immediately went to work writing a new poem and attempting to incorporate lessons learned from Kooser’s book. I’m overjoyed with the result, “Memoir of Jack Beaux,” which tells the story of a shrimp boat captain in hard times. I’ve been reading tons about Louisiana fisheries lately. So I just channeled all my recent reading into this new poem.

I think it’s time to read Kooser’s manual again!