This book aims to gather a selection that represents the diversity and richness of American poetry written by poets who share a sophistication that promises to evolve, with continued effort and risk, a new and powerful poetic idiom.
I know I read this in June 1990 because I mentioned it multiple times in my journal from that year. I especially liked "Alcestis on the Poetry Circuit" by Erica Jong.
The best slave does not need to be beaten. She beats herself.
I am always going back to this so marking it as read, well...I have but not cover to cover. I take it when the mood strikes, like a glass of wine, or a pomegranate. Like any anthology of poetry, it's full of great poems and then, not so great. We all have different tastes and that's what's so wonderful about poetry. There are a bajillion ideas thoughts and feelings expressed by a jillion poets and a mix and match of everything in an anthology. It's like a poetic smorgasboard. I recommend any poetry anthology. This is old (copywrite 1975)I got it at a garage sale or maybe goodwill. It's got some of todays better known poets though. . . Rita Dove, Carolyn Forche, Marilyn Hacker, Thomas Lux, Alice Walker. A lot of these were their first attempts probably, so I think that's pretty cool. Check it out if you can find it.
I've been reading from this anthology for about 30 years. I have a few favorites, and there are some that make me uncomfortable. I like Mark Strand's anthologies better, but oh, well.