A poet's vast notebook captures a year of intense formal and imagistic experimentation. Eric Basso's collection, Umbra, documents his prolific output in the year leading up to his thirtieth birthday. The poems explore a range of forms, from extended haiku to fragmented observations, capturing fleeting visions, shifts in consciousness, and moments of profound personal experience. These works are presented without artifice, offering an unvarnished look into the poet's creative process.

This collection is presented as a crucial document for understanding Eric Basso's early poetic development, particularly his intense period of experimentation between 1976 and 1977. The description emphasizes the raw, unmediated nature of the poems, highlighting their function as a 'laboratory' for form and image. Readers interested in the poet's process will find an 'indispensable document' here, offering insight into his creative methods. The collection captures a wide spectrum of emotional and perceptual experiences, from 'dwarfed mysteries' to 'brief comedies', all fixed with a unique intensity.