Wisdom and wit--and just a hint of sass--underlie this first published collection of poetry by Ruth Maus. In Valentine, a juxtaposition of Kansas native personality and Smith College academic oozes out in poetic form. A listener will tune in to these poems like a child listening to Silverstein, filling with delight and awe as poems are discovered and savored by the ears and by the imagination.Finalist—The Birdy Poetry Prize, by Meadowlark Books, 2019.