Rumor of Cortez, Levine’s second book of poetry, unfolds the compelling dilemmas of a modern man at odds with the endless possibilities of the rapid-fire world. Here are poems that spin and dip into the myths and contradictions presented by history and the driving forces of want—desire amok in the “stopless” world the poet holds dear and celebrates even through intense sensual and spiritual conflict. These poems touch emotional chords most poets leave unsounded and vibrate with the jazz riffs and rhythms of Levine’s language.