Stern is great at capturing snapshot images. Many of these poems focus on Stern's memories of his life in the twentieth century. He references wars, Orson Welles, Ted Berrigan's funeral, and Ezra Pound, as well as personal moments, like his sister's death. In true contemporary fashion, he seems to be intentionally obscure and cryptic at times. Stern often mixes concrete images with abstract, and likes to end his short poems with surprising lines. ( )