Van Gogh's Ear: Poetry for the New Millennium: Autumn 2002

The first volume of the "Van Gogh's Ear" anthology series primarily focuses on poetry characterized by experimentation with form, a revitalized interest in the lyric, and journeys into daring realms of imagination. Among the book's many highlights are Joyce Carol Oates's intense prose poem of sex and murder “Erotic Fantasy in Fast Forward”; Victor Bockris's haunting, prophetic poem “New York City Footsteps” – written just five days before 9/11; Susan Howe's “The Chair”, which achieves a rare synthesis of linguistic rigor and humor; “Labor: A company job”, the last poem John Wieners ever wrote (included is a letter by him – in his writing – about the poem); plus Rod Smith's “Junkspace Canto”, a canto as tremblingly accurate as the jab of a needle, with perceptions wound into a jagged sweet music like a gypsy violin.