Abandoned Poems

“‘Death is a many-colored harlequin,’ asserts Stanley Moss on his 92nd birthday. Undaunted, outrageously alive, Moss in these Abandoned Poems flaunts more colors than the Grim Reaper ever dreamed of, laughs in his face, rhymes with abandon, makes a more joyful noise unto the Lord, and struts with Baudelaire. This is a book to hold onto for dear life.” —Rosanna Warren

“Magisterial. . . Abandoned Poems is magnificent. I’ve read it several times with greater and greater pleasure. Its verbal generosity and bravura, its humanity, the quality and quantity of information which integrates into poetry of the highest order make it a continuing delight.” —Marilyn Hacker

“The man is indomitable. Moss is now in his 90s. His 10th decade, and so how can we not see this book as heroic? Through the years, Moss has produced excellent poetry and published multiple books by other writers. Music and artistry do not diminish with age. I say amen to that. These poems are strong-footed and — as is his tradition — bow to great art and music. He sees life and writes of it purposefully through the riches of the intellectual world, his friends, and experiences. The constant motion of a rich inner life makes Moss a terrific storyteller. There’s strength in every line; he takes no prisoners; says what he wants just the way he wants it until it shines the way he wants. He brings his A-game to every line, and it could be that this is one definition of greatness.” —Washington Independent Review of Books