In Dan Gilmore's deliciously readable poems are poems that read as simply and gracefully as the best anecdotal fiction; we learn that the poet has thrown off the reins of propriety; and that he's "a sparerib theologist / with an Elmer Fudd philosophy." But in fact, for all his hilariously and curmudgeonly humor, for all the charming silliness scattered throughout the collection, these are poems of compassionate humanity and an authentic, self-effacing wisdom...Are poets allowed to write poems this pleasurable to read, this entertaining? In Panning for Gold the reader will not have to do much panning; the gold, solid gold, is all over the place. --Steve Kowit, author of In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop