Dr. Robert Deluty Publishes his 62nd Book

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 13:25:40 -0400
book, deluty, poetry

Dr. Robert Deluty, associate dean emeritus of the Graduate School, has published a new book, "Paying Heed." In his review, Dr. Ronald Pies writes, “In his latest sparkling collection of short poems, Robert Deluty heeds all his senses, especially his sense of humor. His trademark love of wordplay and irony are everywhere to be found, but the reader also finds many poems capturing what writer Diane Ackerman calls ‘complexly appealing moments.’ Thus, we find ‘counting the times/ the young prof responds in class/ Great question!’ and ‘counting the times/ the old prof utters in class/ Where were we?’ Few poets are better than Robert Deluty at crystallizing life's complex mix of the comic, the tragic, and the uproarious. Reader, pay heed!”

And in his appraisal of the book, Dr. George Northrup notes, “Anyone acquainted with Robert Deluty’s ongoing renovation of traditional haiku forms will welcome Paying Heed as an invitation to lively entertainment in his vast yet familiar stomping ground, where favorite subjects—children, college professors and students, relatives, and diverse ethnic groups—display their humor as they grapple with insight into life’s large and small concerns. From one smile to the next, the reader has opportunities on every page to be grateful that Deluty’s creative sparks are still flying—wryly illuminating love, atonement, psychotherapy, sports, and those aching questions about whether cats feel guilty, doctors have a profession in heaven, and the true cause of Socrates’ death. Here and there a rare appearance of life in its tragic form startles our awareness, all the more compelling for being embedded in an expectation of joviality and driving home the wise epigraph by Michael Scott wistfully reminding us to heed our senses. If you are not familiar with his work, you have much delightful catching up to do.”