<P>"David Orr is no starry-eyed cheerleader for contemporary poetry; Orr?s a critic, and a good one. . . . <I>Beautiful & Pointless </I>is a clear-eyed, opinionated, and idiosyncratic guide to a vibrant but endangered art form, essential reading for anyone who loves poetry, and also for those of us who mostly just admire it from afar." ?Tom Perrotta <P>Award-winning <I>New York Times Book Review </I>poetry columnist David Orr delivers an engaging, amusing, and stimulating tour through the world of poetry. With echoes of Francine Prose?s <I>Reading Like a Writer</I>, Orr?s <I>Beautiful & Pointless</I> offers a smart and funny approach to appreciating an art form that many find difficult to embrace. </P>