Helen Plum Library

"A smash up of art and text that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now"--

In this wise and intimate telling--which carries us through the seasons when her marriage was ending--Sharon Olds opens her heart to the reader, sharing the feeling of invisibility that comes when we are no longer standing in love's sight; the surprising physical bond that still exists between a couple during parting; the loss of everything from her husband's smile to the set of his hip. Olds is naked before us, curious and brave and even generous...

Offers a collection of witty, emotional, and direct poems by the popular and critically acclaimed poet, including selections from his four previous collections and new works such as "Man Listening to a Disc," about headphones

In Mornings Like This Annie Dillard has given us a witty and moving collection of poems in a wholly original form. Extracting and rearranging sentences from old or odd books, she has composed ironic poems - some serious, some light - on poetry's most heartfelt themes of love, nature, nostalgia, and death. This is a unique variation on the found-poem form. It enables the poet "to dig deep with a shallow tool." Dillard's characteristic voice sounds...

A new collection of poetry encompasses autobiographical works, meditations on the art of poetry, reflections on the myths that shape our world, and studies on aging and facing death

One of the astonishing aspects of [Oliver's] work is the consistency of tone over this long period. What changes is an increased focus on nature and an increased precision with language that has made her one of our very best poets. ... These poems sustain us rather than divert us. Although few poets have fewer human beings in their poems than Mary Oliver, it is ironic that few poets also go so far to help us forward

Overview: Nikki Giovanni's poetry has spurred movements and inspired songs, turned hearts and informed generations. She's been hailed as a healer and as a national treasure. But Giovanni's heart resides in the everyday, where family and lovers gather, friends commune, and those no longer with us are remembered. And at every gathering there is food--food as sustenance, food as aphrodisiac, food as memory. A pot of beans is flavored with her mother's...

This collection redefines the great canon of American poetry from its origins in the 17th century right up to the present. It features the work of more than 200 poets, almost three times as many as the 1976 edition. The book includes not only writers born since the previous edition, but also many fine poets overlooked in earlier editions or little known in the past but highly deserving of attention. Many more women and African-American poets are represented,...