Uncategorized | November 03, 2004

American poets James Schuyler and Larry Levis were both overlooked and underrated throughout their careers, and, while appreciation for their work has grown since their deaths in the 90’s, their names are still largely unknown to the general reading public. Hopefully, the release of two books will help to correct this situation and bring proper attention to their work. Turtle Point Press is set to release Just the Thing: Selected Letters of James Schuyler 1951-1991 this month, a Schuyler-lover’s dream, since the virtues of his poetry are those of a good letter: wit, charm, friendliness, attentiveness, care. Eastern Washington University Press has released A Condition of the Spirit: The Life and Work of Larrry Levis, a compendium of essays, reviews, interviews, and reminiscences by more than forty American poets affected by Levis’s life and work, along with twelve previously uncollected essays by Levis himself. Levis, like Keats and Crane, inspires absolute devotion in his readers, so this book should come as something of a godsend to those who have been hungering for anything by or simply about Levis since his too early death in 1996.

For more information on Schuyler’s letters, read Michael Dirda’s review for the Washington Post. For more information on A Condition of the Spirit, go to the Eastern Washington University Press website.