Reviewed by Kayti Nika Raet for Readers' Favorite

In Well Beyond The Grace Period and Excerpts from Other Collections by Paul L. DeVore, each work delves into the aspects of old age and aging gracefully. Sometimes frank, sometimes tongue in cheek, DeVore manages to invite the reader with him on a journey through life, whether it's through going to a place surrounded by youth or going through the mementos of memory. As I was reading Well Beyond The Grace Period, I found myself amused with each piece of work as DeVore puts new twists on what would normally be ordinary situations. He really has a knack for storytelling and engages the reader with each piece.

DeVore hops between a few different topics in Well Beyond The Grace Period, but I find that aging and memory seem to be a central theme. The poems are far from frilly and DeVore mentions the steel mills, his words targeting a certain blue collar crowd. The approach works for DeVore as he uses a minimalist approach, and he manages to capture the essence of his thoughts and convey them to the reader without weighing them down in a torrent of flowery prose.

In Well Beyond The Grace Period, DeVore creates a simple collection that is sure to stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. I enjoyed every passage and feel that Well Beyond The Grace Period should be a great read for fans of poetry. Followers of DeVore's work may recognize some of the poems as being previously published, but there is enough new content to hold anyone's attention.