The Bright House opens with memories of the time Greer lived with George and Susan Garrett at their home in York Harbor, Maine. These poems say as much about Greer's love for Garrett as they do about George Garrett himself. Though Greer is a Southerner born and raised in South Carolina, the ambiance of this collection is the mind of a boy, trying to make sense of his troubled childhood and tormented parents. However, other poems address diverse and mature subjects, such as an evening spent with Richard Eberhart, the last quip of Conrad Aiken on his deathbed, and a question tossed at Bernard Malamud regarding the nature of God. In addition, there are public poems, exploring issues of war, poverty, and the continuing blight of AIDS.