Pretentious Poet Types

Flashback. 1986.

On a perverse whim - just starting out as a poet - had this card made up.

Soon thereafter I was assigned to shepherd then Poet Laureate Howard Nemerov around the Miami International Book Fair. Handed him this card as part of my introduction and he laughed, "I'd never in a million years have a card like this."

Despite my youthful pretentiousness, Howard and I conducted a lively correspondence until his death.

He was one sexy guy.