Wherever Robert Hass is, the poet drinks in (and reports to us) the details of place and human activity.
Poetry
Poetry Review: Richard J. Fein’s “Whitman/Vitman” — A Vigorous Homage
It’s hard to think of a contemporary poet who has engaged so passionately and devotedly, over many decades, with a single forebear.
Arts Remembrance: A Tribute to Poet and Writer John Ash
We were both English-speaking ex-patriots living in Istanbul, and John Ash’s poetry spoke eloquently to that shared experience.
Poetry Review: Paul Muldoon’s “Frolic and Detour” — Making the Intricate and Difficult Seem Easy
Frolic and Detour contains a few poems that I judge to be instant classics of English-language poetry.
Poetry Review: “One Lark, One Horse” — Michael Hofmann’s Comic Skepticism
Michael Hofmann nicely captures our age of truthiness and alternate facts and multiple perspectives, the hollowness of everything from the news-cycle to pop-up restaurants, all of the distractions driven by money and advertising.
Poetry Review: “Come Closer and Listen” — Is Brusque and Amusing Enough?
In his new book, poet Charles Simic employs his customary strategies, but he seldom achieves the intensity he once did.
Poetry Review: “Frozen Charlotte” — Plenty of Pleasure
In Frozen Charlotte, Susan de Sola provides readers with enough aesthetic pleasure and thoughtful commentary about today’s world to remind us of just how good — and necessary — poetry can be.
Poetry Review: “Casting Deep Shade” — On Humanity and the Beech Tree
C.D. Wright has woven a poetic text that mirrors the tangled intimacy between humans and the beech, in all of its violence, its confusion, and its beauty.
Arts Remembrance: Poet W. S. Merwin — An Appreciation
W.S. Merwin remained politically as well as artistically motivated all his life, often proclaiming the vital importance of activism.
Poetry Review: “Peaches Goes It Alone” — A Comic Ode to the Age of Trump
In the age of truthiness, poet Frederick Seidel’s is a welcome voice.