Click here to read the first review of Figuring Ground, published Saturday, April 4th, 2009:
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/salon/article/623977weeblylink_new_window


“Moore is a poet of vast reference, combining interests in Greek myth, popular culture, natural observation, autobiography and, of course, literature. His lyrics try on exotic structures and attempt different styles of discourse. Fundamentally though, his voice achieves a homely - at home - erudition, a funky intellectuality that seems unforced and unrehearsed.  The result is fascinating imagery and a funhouse of puns and prankish ironies. But Moore is also sensitive, tender, in poems about family, playful and unusual in his love poems; not just amorous, but also mordant and morbid, these lyrics awaken and surprise.….Get a hold of this book…all that he says bears hearing.”   George Elliot Clarke 

This poet has an incredible range of freedom, metaphor, language and skill with which to weave intricate patterns…So Rarely in Our Skins is…an exceptional collection.”  Fredericton Daily Gleaner “

Robert Moore’s So Rarely in Our Skins brings us a man who’d be great at a dinner party – the conversation would sparkle even if no one else spoke....The sharpness of his wit, and his blending of humour with the harsher truths of life, raise wit to an art form.”  Sue MacLeod, Atlantic Books

“Each section of the book takes on a different voice, subtly shifting in a way that is delightful.  Most poems are laugh-out-loud funny, while others…find a marvelous balance between sorrow and the absurdity of life…. this kind of variation is rare and admirable for a poet in a single collection…Moore has a fresh voice that is a pleasure to read.”  The Pottersfield Portfolio

“[This debut collection] packs a refreshing wallop of wit and cunning wordplay.” Winnipeg Free Press

“Throughout this work, Moore acknowledges the dark possibilities of what cannot be seen. Better yet, he gives voice to beings—animal, fictional and mythical—and through the words he ascribes, gives off-kilter glimpses into truisms of some ‘universal’ state….So Rarely in Our Skins celebrates the language of simple conversation without eliding a single syllable of erudition. [T]hroughout, Moore delights with his wink-eyed looks at the familiar.”  Maxianne Berger, Arc

“Robert Moore’s poetry crackles with wit and quirkish fancies…this is a rich and versatile collection the poetry lover will relish.”  Michael Thorpe

“Robert Moore’s first book of poetry was one of three books nominated for the 2003 Atlantic Poetry Prize.  It’s no wonder:  this collection is witty and accomplished, yet it is also intelligent, conecting inner and outer worlds in an original way….Good poems...remain mysterious.  As [the poet, David] Malouf says, poetry has the power to allow ‘the real nature of a thing [to] shine through’…the poems in So Rarely in Our Skins are like this, offering small, glimmering moments in which the nature of a thing does indeed shine through.”  Anne Simpson, The Fiddlehead. 

“… So Rarely in Our Skins is a knockout, full of insights, clever language, and humour - of both the mordant and laugh-out-loud variety. Moore has enormous control of all the poet's tools and applies them to a wide range of themes, tones, and subjects. In the scope of his interests, he reminds me of a Don McKay or A.F. Moritz….an amazing book of poems.”   The Antigonish Review