Through the terrors of death, history, pain, and love, Marilyn Hacker's mind moves like a laser beam. These poems are among the most incisive pieces of writing we have. As for the writing, the poetry, it is brilliant. -- Hayden Carruth Winter Numbers is Hacker at the top of her form, bending rhyme and meter to her uses, dazzling us with her formalist prowess and breaking our hearts with her impassioned narrative. -- Maxine Kumin Winter Numbers is her strongest book to date. -- Grace Shulman