Crossroads: Poems - Hardcover

Slavitt, David R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0807117536 ISBN 13: 9780807117538

Publisher: Louisiana State Univ Pr, 1994

Synopsis

The 12th book of original verse by this prolific author of dozens of volumes of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Paper edition (unseen), $8.95. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

About this title

From the Back Cover

In his twelfth book of original verse David R. Slavitt leads us to a crossroads where terror, loneliness, and despair are transfigured by love and art. Much of the collection centers on the poet's family history. In the title poem, Slavitt imagines the "dour landscape" of the Polish hamlet his grandparents left in search of a safer haven, at the same time that he reflects ruefully on the hazards of contemporary life in America. In another poem, he recalls his mother and his discovery only after her death - her murder - that the name she had been given was not Adele but Ida. As a young woman she had chosen to call herself something "not too cute, but not too plain, not Ida". And it is Adele he decides on for her grave marker, in deference to her whimsical and brave spirit. Not only family but also the worlds of art, music, and literature animate Slavitt's verses - from a consideration of the modes of salvation suggested by El Greco's and Goya's paintings of Saint Peter to a reflection upon our common response to a discordantly tuned instrument, from echoes of Paradise Lost to witty and deft variations on Catullus. Throughout this collection David Slavitt's keen intelligence, wry humor, and deep compassion shine through. Crossroads allows us to observe a poet working at the peak of his powers.

About the Author

David R. Slavitt, the author of dozens of volumes of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, is one of the most versatile and prolific writers of our day. His many books include the novels Turkish Delights, Lives of the Saints, Salazar Blinks, and The Hussar and the poetry collections Equinox, Eight Longer Poems and The Walls of Thebes. Slavitt is also a noted translator of the works of Virgil, Ovid, Seneca, and Avainus. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has taught at Temple University, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Bennington College.

About this edition

• Publisher: Louisiana State Univ Pr
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0807117536
• ISBN 13: 9780807117538
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 64