I await the muse, which has come thus far in the form of odd profundities, half-baked theories, lost soliloquies, and promises of greater fluency. "Located in the tradition of the dramatic monologue, Lost Soliloquies is a masterful collection of literary, historical, and family voices. This 'lost and found' archive of meditations features Shakespearean characters long after they've left the stage, Clyde Barrow and Frank Lloyd Wright in mid-career, and heretofore unknown Texans--all just trying to make sense of their lives. With both pathos and humor, Cook creates a compelling interplay of portraits to illustrate the great democracy of tragedy."--Sheila Sanderson, author of Keeping Even and OK by Me "Cook is an archivist of lost lives rescued by compelling language: the father whose fall from an Oklahoma roof ends in cool grass and a ladybug's touch, or the mother who, after losing her father, dreams about Roy Orbison's 'quivering falsetto, /the girlish sadness of those high-pitched/songs, ' and the 'dark sunglasses/that made you wonder if he was blind.' Rich with arresting, unforgettable voices, Lost Soliloquies offers wry glimpses of the literary life, love lyrics of deep feeling, and powerful dramatic monologues--some drawn from history, others from Shakespeare's tragedies--through which the poet casts light on the hidden corners of human experience. A book of generous vision and rare insight." --Ned Balbo, author of 3classified operation into the