I found Fleda Brown a year or so ago, through her memoir/essay collection, DRIVING WITH DVORAK, which was simply superb. But she's known primarily for her poetry. Although I'm not much of a poetry fan, I figured a book of poems with Elvis in the title might be something I could at least relate to, if not completely understand (my usual problem with poetry: it often leaves me feeling clueless and stupid). And it turned out I was right - mostly. Because although I was a pretty loyal Elvis fan (the very first LP I ever bought , at 12, was his Christmas album), I can't remember ever getting on my knees to kiss his poster ("Tillywilly Fog"). But there were plenty of other references here I could certainly "get." Gene Autry, Elvis's army hiatus (during which time my own favorite, Ricky Nelson, reigned supreme on the pop charts). I'm pretty sure Ricky gets mentioned here too, as well as Roy Orbison, although I'm pretty sure Roy, who had his own distinctive sound, never really tried "to sound like Elvis," as Brown avers in the title poem. The Beatles are in here too, as well as the Cold War (with which I am extremely familiar). And then there's "Sputnik, 1957," which needs no explanation, as well as the famous meeting between Elvis and Nixon. Even Rod Stewart's "Maggie Mae" is in here, which reminded me of the first time I heard that song, on the highway between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti just as my VW muffler blew out. But Brown's poems are also very personal, with their references to family, coming of age, raging hormones, failed marriages and more. As poetry goes, THE WOMEN WHO LOVED ELVIS ALL THEIR LIVES, is a quirky combination of funny and profound. Even for a poetry moron like me, it was eminently accessible. If you grew up in the 50s and 60s, you'll probably like these poems. ( )