In her new collection, Travis Lane speaks of the 'impermanent elation' that 'a word, / like a live fish in water, sometimes shows'. The language of 'Keeping Afloat' flashes with wit, sensuousness, and a combination of faith (elation) and scepticism (impermanence). In a time when too many poets favour fragments or the plainest syntax, it's also a relief to read the aphorism 'To read the sentence is to resist fellowship, ' from a poet whose own style is welcoming and gymnastic in its joinings and its jumps.' -- Brian Bartlett