French philosopher and Talmudic scholar Emmanuel Levinas believed that to understand another person you must not only encounter him or her but also listen to and learn from this "Other." This philosophy is what inspired three chapbook projects by the author in the past and is what has caused him to bring them together in this present work. To accomplish his task, Wasserman has used an effective technique known as "versioning." In other words, rather than simply collecting translated examples of Yiddish and Vietnamese works, he has tweaked the translations to make them more poetic and appealing to modern readers. In the case of the Aztec poems he includes, he relies on a different method where the pieces are original but inspired by traditional Aztec musicality and character as evidenced in some verbatim translations by George Smisor. The result of his efforts is a unique and fascinating glimpse into the hearts and minds of poets normally inaccessible to the average reader.

Wasserman's ability to retain the cultural flavor of the original writings, some of which are several centuries old, and yet make them come across as fresh and vibrant is impressive. This is especially evident in his versions of the only twelve existing poems by 14th century Vietnamese poet Chu Van An. For example, a piece like "Early Summer" plunges one into an obviously older Oriental setting yet has a timeless feel to it, while "Leaving the Academy" humorously illustrates how academic infighting has been around seemingly forever. Wasserman also does a superb job with the Yiddish poems, showing not only the strong influence that American jazz had on them as subject matter, but also how like beat poetry they should be read aloud to be fully appreciated. Wasserman's collection excites and informs. It clearly proves that good poetry in the right hands can transcend culture.

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