From the country scenes of the poet's childhood to missives penned in
the classroom where he served for many years, the poems in Larry
Beckett's debut collection, At Some Time in My Life, sing with pride and
prophecy. Whether fondly remembering his grandmother's Sunday table;
addressing his former teaching colleagues; or decrying the atrocities of
slavery and systemic racial injustice with the repeated declaration,
"Call me by my name!", Beckett honors the struggles of his ancestors and
calls upon the next generation of Americans to hold fast to the dream of
liberty and justice for all. In verse that recalls Walt Whitman's
optimism and Langston Hughes's musicality and keen political critique,
Beckett reminds his readers once and for all that hope is the ultimate
"builder / of the ruins left behind."