There was a time that McKuen's work sold well. People liked his simple free verse. Those times, apparently are over for some. This is a shame. I have always been quite comfortable with McKuen's work. I do feel that some could be justified in calling the work sappy, corney, lightweight, etc., etc.,....but I suppose it is a matter of taste. If you like him, then you should read him. If you don't, then you should not. It's a lot like James Joyce. People call me a cultural barbarian for not gushing all over the place about his work. I don't like it, have tried to, but never will. Ergo, I don't read him. The nice thing about Rod McKuen's work though is that it is indeed an easy read and after the first few poems you either like or dislike him and can go from there...not a lot of time wasted. Personally, I get a bit of joy out of his work. This particular small volume contains some 37 poems, some good, some maybe not. They are short, to the point and I like them.
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