Placebo Effects Poems - National Poetry Series Author:Jeanne Marie Beaumont Winner of the 1996 National Poetry Series, judged and selected by William Matthews. In this dynamic first collection, Jeanne Marie Beaumont navigates the dusky waters between opposites in a voice that is imbued with a mix of quirky self-consciousness and graceful, perceptive consciousness. The tension between these two voices results in a deftly... more » energetic cadence that lifts the poems off the page. Placebo Effects examines the communal and the intimate: whether considering medicine and mysticism, celebrating a commonplace object, eavesdropping on a provocative conversation, or enjoying the eerie and exquisite privacy of falling asleep. Beaumont's precise and curious attention to the world and to her own use of language proclaim the arrival of an exceptional talent.« less