Variations on Herb

Peter Baltensperger is the editor and publisher of Moonstone Press and
the author of Arcana.

Herbert Mercer Lee was John B. Lee’s grandfather, a man “admired by
many, despised by some.” This sensitive and insightful documenting of
Herb Lee’s life consists of poems both long and short, prose passages
narrating family history and events, and material from the subject’s
own stories, conversations, and correspondence as remembered and
researched by his grandson. There’s also a considerable amount of
Canadian history and socioeconomic information, incidental as it may be,
since the book is firmly set in time and place and the poet makes ample
use of background and marginal material. Taken together, the various
diverse parts of the book form a coherent whole depicting not only an
interesting and complex character, but an entire family over several
generations. The poet has done a commendable job of weaving a wealth of
memories, reflections, insights, and stories into a readable and
enjoyable history not only of his grandfather and his family, but also
of the poet himself.

The book is permeated by a strong sense of family and tradition. The
language is appropriately simple and down-to-earth and often quite
formal, except in the passages written in the grandfather’s voice,
where the poet allows the colloquialisms to dominate. Between the poetic
reflections and personal observations on the one hand, and the prose
narratives on the other, the sections of the book develop in a rhythmic
progression. One exits the book touched by the depth of emotion and
insight the poet has displayed.