Wallenstein’s new book of poems develops an interesting voice in contemporary poetry. It is a voice that combines a street-wise vernacular with an unpretentiousness refreshingly uncommon these days. Additionally, many of these poems generally work less well on the page than the others, relying as they do on syncopated rhythms and simplicity. The collection is worthwhile for the poem “Mother,” which one hopes will find a place in the anthologies. Wallenstein is also quite effective in his narrative pieces like “The Teacher and the Prostitute,” where his distillation of reality rings true and echoes. Some of the poems strike this reader as too casual, almost tossed off, but even in these poems the quirky cleverness is interesting. This book is recommended for collections of contemporary American poetry.