Confession (Volume 1997) (Phoenix Poets)

Confession, the companion to Incontinence, Susan Hahn's previous prize-winning book of poetry, continues the probing, visceral account of the relationship of a woman with her estranged husband and her inconstant lovers. Ingenious, disturbing, Confession will enhance an already substantial following for this exceptional poet. "Phoenix Poets is the most distinguished university press series going."—Alfred Corn "Compressed, controlled, circumscribed by the artist's discipline, the poems in Susan Hahn's Confession do not spill over; each is like a steadily held cup containing its pain."—Alicia Ostriker "Hahn's voice is unique and unforgettable . . . . Hahn's self-revelation is so startling, and her details so extraordinary, that she virtually detonates her poems with energy. . . . Plath, Ai, Sexton—Hahn brings to mind those vivid, violent poets, but her voice is clearly her own, strong and without either shrillness or shame."—Patricia Monaghan, Booklist"In her third book of poems, Confession, Susan Hahn continues to refine her amazing capacity to disquiet, disgust and fascinate. This may not sound like a recommendation, but it is. . . . The precision of Hahn's language stands out even more clearly when compared to the looser, baggier free verse that dominates so much contemporary poetry."—Maureen McLane, Chicago Tribune