From Emma Lazarus to Allen Ginsberg, Jewish American poets have long been a presence in American poetry. Once a group of isolated voices, their number and range has grown in the last 50 years to reveal a distinct American poetic tradition. The first complete guide to the diversity and vitality of this tradition, Jewish American Poetry features poems by 26 leading poets (some written especially for this volume) followed by the poets' own reflections on the Jewish and American aspects of their work. The second half of the book gathers ten wide-ranging essays on the history and scope of Jewish American poetry, offering an unprecedented introduction to its Yiddish and Sephardic heritage, its distinctive poetics of commentary, its Kabbalists, its feminists, and more. With a general introduction that places this literature in the contexts of both Jewish culture and American poetry, Jewish American Poetry opens the door to a much-needed discussion of the significance of the Jewish voice in American literature. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

A remarkably compendious selection in a compact guise, this volume includes poems by 26 poets, along with the poets' extensive commentary, which elucidates aspects of the poetry and addresses the initial question of what makes a poet's work particularly "Jewish." The format is Talmudic: the proof text is followed by the commentary, an essay that often goes far beyond the initial question to consider the creative process in elaborate and revealing detail--the artist's struggle in developing artistic talents and the poet's role as an outsider and observer of the culture. The editors begin the volume with a comprehensive history of American poetry, clearly delineating the canon as it currently exists and interpolating American Jewish poetry along the way. The second half of the collection comprises essays by notable critics, offered in the tradition of chevrusa, or paired study--the essays offering context and an explicit answer to the introductory essay, which begins by noting that Emma Lazarus, author of "The New Colossus" (the last five lines of which are engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty), was not even recognized as an American poet by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his influential anthology. A rich, readable, complex collection--useful and highly recommended for all levels. B. Adler; Valdosta State University From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.