August 24, 1957 by Robert Cooperman

The good and prolific Bob Cooperman‘s long winning streak continues with August 24, 1957, his new collection of smart, punchy narratives. Cooperman’s genius is in storytelling—prior books have honed in on his love of basketball, the Grateful Dead, his family of origin, and America in the 60’s. Also a historian, he’s written deeply about 19^th century frontier Colorado. In this chapbook, Cooperman mines his own history after a storm upends a glass table on his patio. Broken glass! And Cooperman’s taken back to the blood and damage of the summer day he ran through a glass door. 67 years later, Cooperman begins the second poem of the collection, “Some things you don’t forget.” The twenty-four poems here make for a tough, victorious remembrance of a life-changing accident.

–Ken Waldman, author of the poetry collection Sports Page

I’ve long been an admirer of Robert Cooperman‘s poetry.  He is a master at building narratives in poems.  In this new collection, August 24, 1957, he examines a childhood accident that remains a potent force in his life decades later.  The body wasn’t the only thing wounded—but the emotional wounds send down deep roots.  Cooperman is unafraid to show those wounds, to examine them afresh, to help us see our own wounds in new ways.

–Ken Pobo