DEAR 5,886-PAGE JOHN BLOOMBERG-RISSMAN,

How magnificent is this accomplishment! I refer to your opus, the nine-volume IN THE HOUSE OF THE HANGMAN, with each volume being about 654 pages. My copy -- MY COPY OF A SINGLE POEM! -- arrived in today's mail and they took over an entire bench:

As a bibliophile, I am on my knees stroking those glossy covers -- the elegant black-and-white presentation of the whole thang fits! No need for ornamentation.  I opened the first volume at random and it even has hay(na)ku!

This helps explain why John, for me, is a Poet's Poet: he is personally modest but, poetically, ambitious. His ambition honors the art.

I will have more to say about this in the future, I'm sure.  All I can say in response is, "Dear 5,886-page John, I promise to read every word." Every. Word. It's the least I can do.

P.S. Now, what are you going to do to top this?!