Words can have no single fixed meaning. Like wayward electrons, they can spin away from their initial orbit and enter a wider magnetic field. No one owns them or has a proprietary right to dictate how they will be used.

Lehman's poem "The Presidential Years" appeared in The Paris Review No. He has written six nonfiction books including most recently A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters American Songs (Nextbook 2009 for which he received an ASCAP Deems Taylor award from the American Society of Composers Authors and PubliDavid Lehmanrs. David Lehman (born June 11 1948 in New York City) is a poet and the series editor for The Best American Poetry series.

David Lehman (born June 11 1948 in New York City) is a poet and the series editor for The Best American Poetry series. He teaches at The New School in New York City.