I almost never pass up a book of poetry even if I have no knowledge of the author so long as the price is right which explains why I read and am now writing about "Feather River" by Paul Foreman (1943-2012). I acquired a copy of the book during my recent long vacation which included Austin, Texas, which was apparently the stomping ground of the author. A little research has shown me that Paul Foreman was much more important to Texas and the world as an editor and publisher than as a poet. He was the founder and owner of Thorp Springs Press and did a great deal of work to promote and publish Texas writers including J. Frank Doby of whom I had previously been aware. I cannot really say, based on reading this one book, that I have been impressed by the writing of Paul Foreman. He was formally trained as a scientist and a historian. His poetry reflects that. Paul Foreman had a penchant for penning poems for his many friends and several of the pieces in this book are inscribed to several of those friends. He also had a penchant for writing essays about writing, history, and interesting people he had known. Those essays are sometimes more palatable than his poetry. For me the high points of the book were an essay about the writer Frank Waters and a poem about a man Don Foreman who, at least in the poem, appears to have been one of those larger than life figures who tend to impress everyone they meet in a positive manner.
If you are a student of Texas writers and/or Texas poetry, then, by all means, read this book and learn all you can about Paul Foreman. If you are seeking high quality poetry which will stay in your heart and mind over time, look elsewhere. I will stop short of saying that reading this book was a waste of time but I will not give it a ringing endorsement.
