James Whitehead"s third volume of poetry, Hear at Hand, is a compelling collection of meditative and narrative poems. A master at weaving colloquial language into polished lines, Whitehead always evokes a sense of place in his poems. They are peopled by vivid, authentic characters--a district attorney, a judge, a country music star, a college traveler, the poet himself, among others. Herein are love poems, elegics, satires, and poems that reckon with the question of God. There is obsession and humor and dread, and there is also joy.