“My favorite poems here include the title poem about a talisman stone that emblemizes the omnipresence of past time, ‘Something Old,’ ‘Someone’s Father,’ the bitterly ironic ‘Fish to Fry,’ ‘Trucks and All,’ ‘Something,’ ‘Paid Vacation,’ the series of portraits called ‘Not Talking,’ and, most of all, ‘Let Me Find It.’ This latter poem is a prayer for inspiration, an invocation to the Muse, and such poems are traditionally placed at the beginnings of collections. That this poet places it last in the book underscores a steady modesty that runs all though Jim Peterson’s generous but darkly tinged work.”
Fred Chappell