Lesley Duncan, poetry editor of The Herald - the long-established national newspaper in Glasgow, Scotland - looks at the world of public affairs and private preoccupations in this collection of her poems, most of which were first published in the newspaper over the past 20 years. Her witty and perceptive verses, on everything from the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe to Sex War and Peace, Devolution, Nature, Family Matters, Sport, and the Arts, offer an entertaining and original perspective on their times. The daughter of artists, Lesley was brought up in Ayrshire and studied at Marr College, Glasgow University, and the State University of Pennsylvania, USA. During her career with The Herald, she has held various staff positions, from weekend magazine editor to obituaries editor, and has written widely on cultural matters. Now, as a freelance, she chooses and introduces the paper's poem of the day with its engaging mixture of English and Scots classics, translations, and contemporary writing, as well as contributing material herself.