A Summer with Tu Fu

by Hayden Carruth

"A Summer with Tu Fu: What Does It Mean?" by Hayden Carruth is a poignant reflection on the timeless nature of poetry, the universality of human experience, and the deep connections that can exist across vast expanses of time and culture. Through an imagined dialogue with the ancient Chinese poet Tu Fu, Carruth explores themes of exile, the beauty of the natural world, the role of the poet, and the profound yet intangible connections that bind individuals across centuries

37 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1996

About the author

Hayden Carruth was an American poet, literary critic, and anthologist known for his distinctive voice, blending formal precision with the rhythms of jazz and the blues. Over a career spanning more than sixty years, he published over thirty books of poetry, as well as essays, literary criticism, and anthologies. His work often explored themes of rural life, hardship, mental illness, and social justice, reflecting both his personal struggles and his political convictions.
Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Carruth studied at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago. His early career included serving as editor-in-chief of Poetry and as an advisory editor of The Hudson Review for two decades. He later became poetry editor at Harper’s Magazine and held teaching positions at Johnson State College, the University of Vermont, and Syracuse University, where he influenced a new generation of poets.
Carruth received numerous awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award for Collected Shorter Poems (1992) and the National Book Award for Scrambled Eggs and Whiskey (1996). His later works, such as Doctor Jazz and Last Poems, further cemented his reputation as a major voice in American poetry. His influential anthology The Voice That Is Great Within Us remains a landmark collection of American verse.