Chappell is a romantic at heart, and his poetry reflects that sensibility. He understands how to capture a moment in time without resorting to maudlin or sentimental imagery. But he also loves his homeland.His poems take the reader inside the heads of many characters -- some old, some young, each unique.
Chappell sets himslef apart from his contemporaries. He sets a high standard for his own performance.
Chappell possesses true talent.
Susan Lampert Smith, Wisconsin State Journal
Robert Chappell's poems capture the flinty conversation of an old farmer, the stalwart Wisconsin response to a blizzard and sweetly sad memories of a child who was never born. When he writes about corn seeds as "the sweet seeds of the future,'' you can feel the butter on your chin. These poems introduce you to people and places you recognize, and give you insight into what you didn't really understand about them.
Harold Bearce, Francis Ford Coppola's Fiction Workshop
Robert Chappell has given us an artful emulation of J. D. Salinger`s writing style.
