Some years ago. Rod McKuen produced an

album entitled The Sea. It contained readings

of his quiet, introspective poetry over a lush

musical background. That album has be-

come the most successful "mood recording"

ever made. selling literally millions of copies

throughout the world, with the selections

from it translated into Italian. French, Ger-

man, Dutch and Japanese.

Since that time Mr. McKuen s readers have

been expecting him to compile a book of

poetry using the sea as a canvas. More than

ten years later the author has done just that.

The Sea Around Me is an ambitious collec-

tion of new poetry, which details frankly and

honestly the end of a love affair, the aftermath

of being alone, and finally the awakening,

elation and hesitation that a new love brings.

The story unfolds like a novel even as the

reader knows it is impossible for the words

here to be anything but true.

W. H. Auden has said. "Rod McKuen s

poems are letters to the world and I m happy

that many of them came to me and found me

out." Perhaps that is the secret of Rod Mc-

Kuen s gift. He is able to communicate, touch-

ing each reader directly; his depth of feeling

and sensitivity and his constant caring are

what set him apart.