Worship of the Visible Spectrum by Judith Skillman (review)

88 Western American Literature Worship of the Visible Spectrum. By Judith Skillman. (Portland: Breitenbush Books, 1988. 71 pages, $15.00/$8.00.) Worship of the Visible Spectrum is the work of a voice becoming. Judith Skillman looks closely at the world and her experience and isnot afraid to take chances with a metaphor, an image, or a meaning. Often, in taking the chance, she fails, or is distractingly imprecise: .. .Brought in from the darkening stain of farmland, where cattle sit on their haunches.. . * * * . . .The goldfish grows huge as a carp. * * * . . . The sun goes out by subtle grading, cadmium yellow and orange between the willing skyline. I’ve never seen cows sit on their haunches; imagining it is funny. The simile of the goldfish and carp fails for me because of its imprecision. A goldfish isn’t exactly a carp, but it isn’t exactly not a carp either—it’s a close relative; so, the contrast is weak. The last example presents a problem of meaning: “between” implies an intermediate position in relation to two objects or bound­ aries, and here, the reader has only one boundary, the “willing skyline,”—the mind is left with half an image. These are picky points I’m making, and I know it. But there are enough of these sorts of problems with the writing to undermine the wonderful elan of the book. There are also enough poems in Worship—like “Working Woman” and “The Waiting That is Woman”—to prove the craftsmanship and power of the poet. Poems like these two, plus many magical lines and endings, give the reader an experience of depth and resonance that is similar to the experience of reading a myth. Skillman’swork isexciting. Maybe even more sobecause of the sense that, as an artist, she is not one to fool herself: There is nothing I wouldn’t do again better, with more precision. I look forward to reading more of her work. ONA SIPORIN Logan, Utah ...