~Kay Ryan, The Niagara River (Grove Press, 2005)

          She is described as a “minimalist” poet—meaning she’s not much for shopping at antique stores for little baubles and bangles to line her shelves.  I admire that sensibility and believe the opposite is a trap into which far too many contemporary poets fall. I feel that people often have a needless (arbitrary) drive to over accentuate an image with irrelevant dribble, to dress up a tree in more than leaves and bark. Let it stand, I say. Stop with the meaning-making nonsense.  

          ~TM