Advice

If you're in the Austin area and hungry for some good, reasonably priced mexican food, don't go the Tres Amigos. However, if you just want a really good pomegranate margarita (yum, antioxidents!), give it a try. The location on 360 also has a neat patio where they put out tortillas for the birds and squirrels.

If I have convinced you that Louise Gluck is a wonderful poet, great. But don't buy her first book of poems, Firstborn, published in 1968. It's awful. The best poem in it so far is Nurse's Song (below), and I'm not all that impressed with it.

Nurse's Song

As though I'’m fooled. That lacy body managed to forget
that I have eyes, ears; dares to spring her boyfriend on the child.
This afternoon she told me, ‘Dress the baby in his crochet
dress,’ and smiled. Just that. Just smiled,
going. She is never here. O innocence, your bassinet
is clogged with gossip, she'’s a sinking ship,
your mother. Wouldn't spoil her breasts.
I hear your deaf-numb papa fussing for his tea. Sleep, sleep,
my angel, nestled with your orange bear.
Scream when her lover pats your hair.

-Louise Gluck