Phantoms: Poems

by James Laughlin, Virginia Schendler (Photographer)

In combining their work, poet James Laughlin and photographer Virginia Schendler explore independent but complementary ways of seeing. The poems are not meant as captions for the photographs, nor do the "found" images-- gathered in Manhattan's SoHo and TriBeCa neighborhoods-- function as illustrations to the poems. But taken together, they reinforce common the urgencies of time and desire, the dreamlike qualities of ordinary experience. Schendler's photographs address the illusive nature of a changing city, while Laughlin's poems, with their colloquial yet eloquent tone, follow the rhythms of the street. Playful as well as profound, this collaboration will prompt new associations in the imagination of its audience.

64 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 1995

About the author

James Laughlin was an American poet and literary book publisher who founded New Directions Publishing.

One of Laughlin's most anthologized works is "Step on His Head", a poem about his relationship with his children.