Description

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Essays and critical writings on contemporary poetry by Stephen Burt, “the finest critic of his generation” (Lucie Brock-Broido) Stephen Burt’s Close Calls with Nonsense provokes readers into the elliptical worlds of Rae Armantrout, Paul Muldoon, C. D. Wright, and other contemporary poets whose complexities make them challenging, original, and, finally, readable. Burt’s intelligence and enthusiasm introduce both tentative and longtime poetry readers to the rewards of reading new poetry. As Burt writes in the title essay: “The poets I know don’t want to be famous people half so much as they want their best poems read; I want to help you find and read them. I write here for people who want to read more new poetry but somehow never get around to it; for people who enjoy Seamus Heaney or Elizabeth Bishop and want to know what next; for people who enjoy John Ashbery or Anne Carson but aren’t sure why; and, especially, for people who read the half-column poems in glossy magazines and ask, ‘Is that all there is?’” Stephen Burt is the author of two critical books on poetry as well as two poetry collections, including Parallel Play. His essays and reviews have appeared in the Believer, The Nation, and The New York Times Book Review. He is an Associate Professor of English at Harvard University. A National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist

Stephen Burt's Close Calls with Nonsense provokes readers into the elliptical worlds of Rae Armantrout, Paul Muldoon, C. D. Wright, and other contemporary poets whose complexities make them challenging, original, and, finally, readable. Burt's intelligence and enthusiasm introduce both tentative and longtime poetry readers to the rewards of reading new poetry. "It’s now officially Poetry Month, and there’s currently no better guidebook to modern verse than Stephen Burt’s Close Calls with Nonsense. Burt, a poet and a scholar, delivers entertaining and deeply intelligent chapters on Frank O’Hara, John Ashbery, Rae Armantrout, D.A. Powell and others, written in a lively style that will appeal to experts, newcomers and those in between. 'If you have ever brought home unassembled furniture,' Burt writes, 'you likely know how important good instructions can be.' His instructions are far from those you’ll get from Ikea. He’s rigorous, easy to read and infectiously enthusiastic. Note: His book will make you want to read more poetry."—Michael Miller, Time Out New York

About the Author

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STEPHEN BURT is the author of two critical books on poetry as well as two poetry collections, including Parallel Play. His essays and reviews have appeared in The Believer, The Nation, and The New York Times Book Review. He teaches at Harvard University.

Praise for Close Calls with Nonsense: Reading New Poetry…

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Praise for Stephen Burt:

“Burt is one of the leading poet-critics of his own emerging generation, turning out an astonishing amount of terrific reviewbased criticism in places like the TLS and New York Times.” —Publishers Weekly