THE FREEDOM OF THE IGNORED.

THE FREEDOM OF THE IGNORED

By Bill O'Neill

Red Mountain Press, $18.95

The topics of Bill O'Neill's poems-love and politics-are irresistible. He is as much a storyteller as he is a poet.

O'Neill is a state senator in New Mexico, and his experiences in "the Roundhouse," as the state Capitol is known, have provided him with a treasure trove of material for his work. In more than a dozen brief vignettes about statehouse life he shines a light on the people, the process, the pickup basketball games and the behind-the-scenes machinations. O'Neill's poems are filled with humor, pain and self-awareness. He examines his relationships and how they reflect his place in the world, and contemplates the difficulties of an outsider trying to connect with people and places-and touches on how many ways there are to be an outsider. Many of the poems are dedicated to his colleagues, but the most moving are reserved for closer relationships: the college friend who inspired him to write and who died in the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center, and O'Neill"s partner and...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT