Kathryn Jones, award-winning journalist, poet, and author
“Donald Mace Williams proves himself a keen observer of the inner and outer interwoven world in these poignant, personal, and universal poems. This collection blooms with familial celebrations and lamentations, the search for solace in nature, and the never-ending quest to know oneself. He shows that, in the end, we are all “nectar dancers” seeking beauty, sustenance, and connection.”
R. S. Gwynn, poet, anthologist, and professor emeritus, Lamar University
“Like many of us, Donald Mace Williams shows his debt to Robert Frost. To be sure, the lone and level Panhandle of Canyon, Texas, seemingly has little in common with the elder poet’s New England. Even the snow lasts only till midday, when “the sun will take its half of what’s left.” A poet who lives in a flat place is bound to engage his world with irony, expressed in tart epigrams, sonnets, and carefully crafted blank verse. Having surpassed Frost in age, Williams is a worthy descendant of the Master and an expert reporter of what another Williams called ‘local conditions.’ You'll be charmed.”
Larry D. Thomas, 2008 Texas State Poet Laureate; member, Texas Institute
“Although much of Donald Mace Williams’ poetry is written in strict poetic form, his handling of rhymed verse is so assured and subtly elegant that the reader is often unaware that the poems are “classically” formal. In The Nectar Dancer, Williams continues his formal mastery as he tackles a wide range of subjects as intriguingly variegated as his verbal kaleidoscope of allusion, from Euclid to a nursing home cat; from COVID to Mozart; and from poignant family poems to a cutting horse. I’m privileged to give The Nectar Dancer my highest recommendation.”
