About Dunn’s work, the poet Billy Collins has written: “The art lies in hiding the art, Horace tells us, and Stephen Dunn has proven himself a master of concealment. His honesty would not be so forceful were it not for his discrete formality; his poems would not be so strikingly naked were they not so carefully dressed.”
"Poetic Everyman Improves with Age" Review of Different Hours by Michael Schneider who studied Dunn
Don Harrell's article, "'Hours' offers private epiphanies," The Times, 2/11/01
Critics of Different Hours agree with Collins' assessment of Dunn's work: in Different Hours, Dunn brilliantly exposes the truth by "dressing" the deceptions we all tell ourselves. Dunn and his critics agree that Dunn achieves this "finding the hidden darkness everywhere" because of his maturity that has come with age. Michael Schneider even dubbed Dunn as the "poetic everyman." All of the critics that appear on this page highlights the accessibility of Dunn's poetry and its conversational aspects. Dunn allows every reader to connect with his poetry on some level. He does not discriminate or alienate. His poetry takes the reader down a path to uncovering the tough truths about life.
"Finding the Hidden Darkness Everywhere" review of Different Hours
Dennis Johnson's article, "Welcome voices and choices"
Review by James Schley from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 7/8/01
