The Mayor has a Hammer - James Schutz

\nFinally - a book that gets it. These poems capture the soul of local\n \ngovernment with honesty, heart, and just the right amount of humor.\n \nIf you've ever served your community - as an elected official or as\n \nstaff - you'll feel seen, understood, and proud. And if you haven't, this\n \ncollection offers a rare and moving window into what it's really like to\n \ndo this work: the quiet frustrations, the small triumphs, and the deep\n \ncommitment that keeps us coming back.\n \n- Kate Colin, Mayor, City of San Rafael, California\n \n\n \n\n \nIt's rare in poetry to be privy to the minute particulars of a given\n \nprofession. As the former city manager of one of the Bay Area's lovelier\n \ncities, though one not without its civic problems, Jim Schutz acts as our\n \nVirgil through the not-so-divine comedy of running a municipality.\n \nHis tone can be biting, whimsical, impassioned, and/or funny, but his\n \ndisposition is always one of deep concern for the commons, and a\n \nprofound appreciation of those who serve our local interests. As Jim\n \nsays in his preface, these are really love poems to a work force too many\n \ntake for granted. So, let him entertain you as he informs you. In these\n \nbenighted times, maybe you'll find yourself among Those optimists\n \nwho inhale conflict/and exhale unity.\n \n- Thomas Centolella, author of Almost Human\n \n\n \n\n \nWho knew local government could be poetry? Jim Schutz did! This\n \ngem of a book makes you feel the joy, pain, and sheer craziness that\n \ncome with being a public servant in these turbulent times.\n \n- Kip Harkness, former Deputy City Manager, \n \nCity of San Jose, California\n \n\n \nMore than ever in these times, we need those who honor words for their\n \nprecision and beauty. Jim Schutz has done just that. He has explored\n \nthe craft of poetry and brought it into City Hall, into the offices of\n \ngovernment workers who don't get enough praise for their tireless work.\n \nWe thank him for his world of pensions, Ford Fusions, fluorescent\n \nlights, taxes, and gavels in the small chambers of democracy.\n \n- Kathy Evans, author of Trespassers Welcome and Imagination\n \nComes to Breakfast\n