National Network for Equitable Library Service

In his fifth book of poetry, Douglas Burnet Smith tunes his eye and ear closely to the world, conscious of those points where the everyday blossoms into fierce magic.

Actress Mae West once said "I’ve been things and seen places." Poet Douglas Burnet Smith might well be able to lay claim to the same boast.

In Learning to Count, Douglas Burnet Smith explores the counterpoint between everyday, often innocent, experiences and the darker elegiac tones of history.