Susan Paulsen's theme in this book is her daily life--family, friends, her surroundings and the nude, in locations including Westchester, Block Island and Mabou. Yet as much as Paulsen's images explore her existence now--children playing Scrabble, freshly cut roses, frolicking dogs--they also concern memory and family history. Paulsen's color palette is quiet and her subjects sometimes subtly blurred, creating effects that hark back to her training as a painter. And just like much still-life painting, Sarah Rhymes with Clara is a revelation of the poetic in the seemingly banal. As...