Gay and Lesbian Poetry in Our Time

by K.J. Charles and Joan Larkin

Book Overview

The best lesbian and gay poetry written from 1950 to the present. Contributors include, W H Auden, James Baldwin, Allen Ginsberg, Judy Grahn, Langston Hughes, Audre Lourde and many others.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312038364
• ISBN13: 9780312038366
• Release Date: November 1989
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Lambda Literary Award winner

Lambda Literary Award winner I bought this book because it is spotlighted in the introduction of the anthology `The Poetry of Sex' edited by Tee A. Corinne because it "...offered windows into cultures for which there had been very little visibility and almost no literary continuity." Of the almost 100 Poets included I knew many of the women and look forward to reading the others (and some have more than one poem featured in the book). Some favorites - Dorothy Allison, W.H. Auden James Baldwin Jane Barnes Susan Cavin Cheryl Clarke Jan Clausen Tatiana de la Tierra Allen Ginsberg, Jewelle Gomez Judy Grahn Marilyn Hacker Joy Harjo, Langston Hughes June Jordan Joan Larkin Audre Lorde Honor Moore Eileen Myles Frank O'Hara Pat Parker Adrienne Rich Linda Smuckler May Swenson Kitty Tsui Tennessee Williams The authors are presented in alphabetical order and as a nice touch are accompanied by photos of the writer. Also enjoyable were the brief author biographies that precede the poem rather than at the back of the book. The bibliography in the back has excellent recommendations for further reading. From the back of the book - You could simply call this the most important collection of gay and lesbian poetry yet published. It is. -- Bay Area Reporter Booklist - Surpasses every previous anthology of its kind in size, in presenting both men's and women's writings, and in quality.

Lambda Literary Award winner

I bought this book because it is spotlighted in the introduction of the anthology `The Poetry of Sex' edited by Tee A. Corinne because it "...offered windows into cultures for which there had been very little visibility and almost no literary continuity." Of the almost 100 Poets included I knew many of the women and look forward to reading the others (and some have more than one poem featured in the book). Some favorites - Dorothy Allison, W.H. Auden James Baldwin Jane Barnes Susan Cavin Cheryl Clarke Jan Clausen Tatiana de la Tierra Allen Ginsberg, Jewelle Gomez Judy Grahn Marilyn Hacker Joy Harjo, Langston Hughes June Jordan Joan Larkin Audre Lorde Honor Moore Eileen Myles Frank O'Hara Pat Parker Adrienne Rich Linda Smuckler May Swenson Kitty Tsui Tennessee Williams The authors are presented in alphabetical order and as a nice touch are accompanied by photos of the writer. Also enjoyable were the brief author biographies that precede the poem rather than at the back of the book. The bibliography in the back has excellent recommendations for further reading. From the back of the book - You could simply call this the most important collection of gay and lesbian poetry yet published. It is. -- Bay Area Reporter Booklist - Surpasses every previous anthology of its kind in size, in presenting both men's and women's writings, and in quality.

An inspiring and enriching anthology

"Gay and Lesbian Poetry in Our Time: An Anthology," edited by Carl Morse and Joan Larkin, brings together the work of nearly 100 poets, mainly from the U.S. and Canada. This anthology is a stunning achievement. The poets represent a multigenerational group of men and women. These poets also represent many different cultural heritages: Native American, Jewish, Asian, Latina, and more. There is a particularly strong representation of African-American poets: Essex Hemphill, Audre Lorde, Cheryl Clarke, and many, many more. The innovative introduction is written in the form of a dialogue between coeditors Morse and Larkin. Addressing the interesting question--Why a gay and lesbian anthology?--Larkin notes that "all kinds of sparks result when you get us all together in one place." She also observes that the poems begin "to speak to one another" when so gathered. The introduction also recalls some highlights from the history of 20th century lesbian and gay literature, with an emphasis on poetry and anthologies.The authors are a good mix of both well-known and lesser-known poets. The poems themselves cover many different themes and stylistic approaches. Some of the many highlights include Alexis De Veaux's narrative poem "The Sisters"; Maurice Kenny's "Winkte," a celebration of the gay Native American experience; and Irena Klepfisz's "death camp," a painful poem about the Holocaust.If you have a passion for poetry, for lesbian literature, for multicultural studies, or for gay men's literature, you will want to add "Gay and Lesbian Poetry in Our Time" to your library. It is a remarkable volume.

A must have for any poetry-lover!

That's right, any poetry-lover. The poems in this collection reflect truly universal themes that anybody can relate to. This is a collection of nothing but masters of the art of poetry. From Beats to Surrealists to Confessionalists, it's all here (and not just for queers).