Steven Evans writes just what is on his mind or in his heart -- no more, no less. Maybe anyone can do that ... but it takes a special person, such as Evans, to write it with such depth and feeling, yet without over-sentimentality or pretentiousness. Form is his servant, not his master: he likes to rhyme, and (for the most part) uses rhythm to good effect, but he refuses to let meter or syllable count interfere with his expressing himself honestly and clearly. Errors? Sure: “had of known” for “had known,” “wreaked” for “reeked.” We can live with that, in exchange for his spontaneity. He needs a proofreader, but emphatically not an editor. Evans avoids the traps of being too loose or folksy, too Southern or Western, too urban or cool. He doesn’t have a “shtick.” As well as telling his own story, he has an unexpected empathy with others, women as much as men (or more). He writes from experience and truth, not from others’ expectations. “What you see is what you get” has seldom been truer of a writer. Take it or leave it. I’ll take it. -- John Ambury, Canadian poet and reviewer.