Böcker av Adam Kirsch

A prominent public intellectual tackles one of the most crucial political ideas of our moment.

Robert Lowell, Elizabeth Bishop, Sylvia Plath, John Berryman, Randall Jarrell, and Delmore Schwartz formed one of the great constellations of talent in American literature. In the decades after World War II, they changed American poetry forever by putting themselves at risk in their poems in a new and provocative way. Their daring work helped to inspire the popular style of poetry now known as "confessional." But partly as a result of their openness, they have become better known for their tumultuous lives-afflicted by mental illness, alcoholism, and suicide-than for their work. This book reclaims their achievement by offering critical "biographies of the poetry"-tracing the development of each poet's work, exploring their major themes and techniques, and examining how they transformed life into art. An ideal introduction for readers coming to these major American poets for the first time, it will also help veteran readers to appreciate their work in a new light.

A collection of moving and meditative poems that richly evoke a Gen X childhood in Los Angeles, exploring how our early recognitions shape our lives.

A literary critic's journey through the Talmud.

An erudite and accessible survey of Jewish life and culture in the twentieth century, as reflected in seminal texts.

Essays from a "great poet-critic-intellectual" (Daily Beast).

A collection of bold, insightful, and controversial essays by "a poetry critic of the very first order" (New York Times).