ANNE MICHAELS WHERE ARE YOU

There is no positive addiction like being seduced by a book. And it seems to me that a decade is a crucial time in the lifespan of a book -- has it become merely a product, is it ready to be discarded -- or after ten years does it retain a certain kind of magic, that demands to be read and then read again, each time unfolding different nuances of meaning. I think aside from some of the negative reactions to the novel -- the lack of a successful ending, the lack of differentiation of some of the characters -- the immensity of its ambition to wed philosophy and poetry, its constant level of observation which is woven into the fabric of the drama remains a triumph. I keep finding sections that bear not only re-reading but which make me want to go back into philosophy and really plumb the depths of Hegel and Husserl. For those of you who want to go to the distance with serious writing that aims high but also shoots for life outside of the coterie audience of academia, Fugitive Pieces is a must and Michaels' poetry, largely unknown outside of her native Canada, holds the mark with the best of Adrienne Rich and Robert Lowell. If ever a book shows the value of ten years worth of writing, this one does.