By Rob Stout
Enquirer Contributor

Garden

By Richard Hague (Word Press; $16). Hague, a teacher at Purcell Marian High School, looks no further than his back yard for inspiration in this fourth collection of poetry. The 52 poems of varying length and meter explore with great immediacy the author's relationship with his surroundings. One lyric describes a vine covered fence: "A woman expressed from a cloud and ambergis/ a dancer extended/ green-shaped and lithe in two weeks of late summer's labor."

Kentucky Curiosities

"Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities and Other Offbeat Stuff " by Vince Staten and Liz Baldi (Globe Pequot Press; $12.95). While many north of the Ohio River may see such a guide as an exercise in the obvious, authors Staten and Baldi feel the need to point out phenomenon like the world's largest ham biscuit, the stomping ground of Jim Varney and Pike County's annual Hillbilly Days festival. A warning to those who seek out some of the suggested whimsy: a shortage of directions and readable maps make finding these places next to impossible.

Sharonville and Its People

By Maria R. Eckhoff (Arcadia Publishing; $19.99). Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America"series, of which the current volume is a part, attempts to tell the stories of small towns and villages across the country through vintage and historic photographs. Eckhoff, curator of the Sharonville Historical Society, has amassed a respectable collection, unfortunately, the series' emphasis on the visual over narrative fails to place these images into any particular context.

Thread of Decency

By A. Townsend Marshall (American Book Publishing; $22). Business scandals have always provided high drama, in part because they combine the archetypes Americans love. These personalities, however, do not make an appearance here. At the heart of this story is the self-made John Matheson, whose ethics come into immediate question after his lifeless body is found on a motel floor. An interesting start to be sure, but any hope of an otherwise compelling morality tale is squashed by a superfluous plot and long, inane passages of exposition.

Vampire Legends in Contemporary American Culture

By William Patrick Day (University of Kentucky Press; $29.95). From the literary art of Bram Stoker to present day Buffy and Count Chocula, vampires, and their mystique, continue to enjoy an enduring place in film and fiction. Their perseverance is at the heart of a specialized text by Mr. Day, a professor of English at Oberlin College. Enthusiasts of the undead will find these reflections on mythology and popular culture engaging.