The author turns to poetry in Blessings of the Beasts to chronicle her eight years working for President Jimmy Carter-four years on the White House staff and four years following his return from Washington. She tells the story of a first job that celebrated her values and hopes for a better world, one that describes her world-view from the bottom of a high-level workplace. Her story documents her gratitude to the people she met whom forever influenced the world and her life. The use of poetry provides the discipline and detachment needed to transform her memories into lyrical observations most relevant today.