American Poetry Now: Pitt Poetry Series Anthology

Contents

CONTENTS Introduction • xix Maggie anderSon • 1 SpittingintheLeaves • 2 HeartFire • 2 LongStory • 3 BlackDogGoestoArtColony • 6 Self-Portrait • 6 dorothy barreSi • 8 ThePost-RaptureDiner • 9 TheNudeDetective,AComplaint • 9 SockHopwiththeNewCritics • 11 GlassDress • 12 BodySays • 14 QUan barry • 16 theexiled(from“childoftheenemy”) • 17 intermurals • 18 tradition • 19 crossingtheSouthChinaSeaasanalgesia • 20 EmmettTill’sOpenCasketas LaPietá • 21 DougFlutie’s1984OrangeBowlHailMaryasWaterintoFire • 21 Jan beatty • 23 MadRiver • 24 RavenousBlue • 24 AWaitress’InstructionsonTippingorGettheCashUpandDon’t WasteMy Time • 25 aftersexonatrain • 26 MyFatherTeachesMetoDream • 26 GoingDeepforJesus • 27 ZenofTipping • 28 MachineShopofLove • 29 vii 4 contentS robin becker • 31 TheNewEgypt • 32 Now • 32 OK,Tucker • 33 AdultChild • 34 WhyWeFeartheAmish • 34 SpiritualMorning • 35 TheBath • 36 TheStoryILiketoTell • 36 richard blanco • 38 América • 39 TheSilverSands • 41 ElCucubano • 42 TíaOliviaServesWallaceStevensaCubanEgg • 43 chriStoPher bUrSk • 45 Dr.Livingstone,IPresume • 46 TheBarbarians • 47 OneNation,Indivisible,UnderGod • 48 TheWorldofBusiness • 49 anthony bUttS • 51 BlueMovie • 52 ErosandThanatos • 53 TryingtoBeHuman • 54 Forgiveness • 55 Heritage • 56 lorna dee cervanteS • 58 Emplumada • 59 MeetingMescalitoatOakHillCemetery • 59 BeneaththeShadowoftheFreeway • 60 PoemfortheYoungWhiteManWhoAskedMeHowI,anIntelligent, Well-ReadPersonCouldBelieveintheWarBetweenRaces • 63 viii 4 contentS Wanda coleMan • 66 LadySingstheBlues1969 • 67 LosAngelesNocturne • 68 SoulTraveler • 69 Baptism • 70 Exoteric • 71 billy collinS • 72 IChopSomeParsleyWhileListeningtoArtBlakey’s Versionof“ThreeBlindMice” • 73 ShovelingSnowwithBuddha • 74 ThisMuchIDoRemember • 75 Japan • 76 TakingOffEmilyDickinson’sClothes • 78 TheDeathoftheHat • 79 Mark cox • 81 PailofEggs • 82 Sill • 82 LikeaSimile • 84 Style • 85 NaturalCauses • 85 AfterRain • 86 Ashes,Ashes • 87 JiM danielS • 88 RawOctober • 89 DiggerPaysOfftheMortgage • 89 Digger’sTerritory • 90 StillLives:Sweat • 91 TroubleattheDrive-In • 92 BlessingtheHouse • 93 chard deniord • 95 RaidingtheBees • 96 ToHearandHear • 96 ix 4 contentS Frog • 97 Whales • 97 NightMowing • 98 ThroughaTrainWindow • 98 AnIncidentattheCatholicWorker • 99 ISeeThemNow • 100 toi derricotte • 101 Blackbottom • 102 BoyatthePatersonFalls • 103 InanUrbanSchool • 103 AllenGinsburg • 104 TheStruggle • 105 GracePaleyReading • 105 WhenMyFatherWasBeatingMe • 106 deniSe dUhaMel • 108 Kinky • 109 SexwithaFamousPoet • 110 TheDifferencebetweenPepsiandPope • 111 NickatNite • 113 TheProblemwithWoodyAllen • 114 NoahandJoan • 115 rUSSell edSon • 117 TheSecretGraveyard • 118 TheKey • 118 BabyPianos • 119 TheAlfrescoMoment • 119 TheMessage • 119 TheSquareWheel • 120 Angels • 120 TheBath • 121 ThusSpakePolly • 121 Wings • 121 x 4 contentS lynn eManUel • 123 insidegertrudestein • 124 HalfwayThroughtheBookI’mWriting • 125 HomagetoSharonStone • 126 PortraitoftheAuthor • 128 Peter everWine • 130 DrinkingColdWater • 131 PerhapsIt’sasYouSay • 132 SortingtheTools • 132 IntheLastDays • 133 PoemBeginningwithaLinefromLeonardoSinisgalli • 134 FromtheMeadow • 135 TheHeart • 136 edWard field • 137 Frankenstein • 138 Nancy • 139 Unwanted • 141 TheTailspin • 142 InPraiseofMyProstate • 142 TheLost,Dancing • 143 Garbo • 144 daiSy fried • 145 SheDidn’tMeantoDoIt • 146 AStoryHavingtoDowithWaltWhitman • 146 WhateverWorks • 148 AuntLeah,AuntSophieandtheNegroPainter • 148 barbara haMby • 152 OdetoAmericanEnglish • 153 TheMockingbirdontheBuddha • 154 OdetothePotato • 155 Fang • 155 xi 4 contentS OdetoRock’n’Roll • 156 OdetoMy1977Toyota • 157 c. g. hanzlicek • 159 Egg • 160 TheCave • 161 BlueLight • 162 Moment • 165 bob hicok • 167 Twins • 168 Teameffort • 169 Mynewneighbor • 169 Beasts • 170 Fullflight • 174 gray Jacobik • 176 Pollock’sPaintings • 177 TheShabbyTruth • 178 Breasts • 180 TheLizardMan • 180 JUlia kaSdorf • 182 WhatILearnedfromMyMother • 183 Mennonites • 183 WhenOurWomenGoCrazy • 184 FirstGestures • 185 Eve’sStriptease • 186 TheSunLover • 187 Sinning • 188 JeSSe lee kercheval • 190 EnterMecca • 191 Not • 192 WhatMax,AgeTwo,RemembersaboutSpain • 193 TheGreatMolassesFlood • 195 xii 4 contentS etheridge knight • 197 HardRockReturnstoPrisonfromtheHospitalforthe CriminalInsane • 198 HeSeesThroughStone • 199 TheIdeaofAncestry • 200 TheWardenSaidtoMetheOtherDay • 201 FeelingFuckedUp • 202 WelcomeBack,Mr.Knight:LoveofMyLife • 202 DarkProphecy:ISingofShine • 203 Rehabilitation&TreatmentinthePrisonsofAmerica • 204 Sandra kohler • 206 TheGame • 207 ThePond • 207 TheEndoftheGulfWar • 208 Tea • 209 Write • 210 ted kooSer • 211 SelectingaReader • 212 AFrozenStream • 212 TheVeryOld • 213 HowtoMakeRhubarbWine • 214 AWidow • 215 FortRobinson • 215 ShootingaFarmhouse • 215 FlyingatNight • 216 Laundry • 217 AttheOfficeEarly • 217 Year’sEnd • 218 larry leviS • 219 WinterStars • 220 My StoryinaLateStyleofFire • 221 xiii 4 contentS TheOldestLivingThinginL.A. • 223 TheSmelloftheSea • 224 Shara MccallUM • 227 SunsetontheWharf • 228 Jamaica,October18,1972 • 228 Whatmymothertaughtme: • 229 Calypso • 229 WhattheOracleSaid • 230 AnOffering • 231 FacingIt • 232 Peter Meinke • 233 SonnetontheDeathoftheManWhoInventedPlastic Roses • 234 (Untitled) • 234 ThePoet,TryingtoSurpriseGod • 235 LiquidPaper • 235 AtomicPantoum • 236 ZincFingers • 237 AMeditationonYouandWittgenstein • 238 Preacher,SaidtheGeneral • 239 Malena Mörling • 241 If ThereIsAnotherWorld • 242 Happiness • 243 Gone • 243 SimplyLit • 245 SeemedPleased • 246 IntheYellowHeadofaTulip • 248 AWake • 249 kathleen norriS • 250 Perennials • 251 YoungLoverswithPizza • 252 EveofSt.AgnesintheHighSchoolGym • 253 xiv 4 contentS HowICametoDrinkMyGrandmother’sPiano • 254 Afterward, • 255 EmilyinChoir • 256 Sharon oldS • 257 SatanSays • 258 QuakeTheory • 259 IndictmentofSeniorOfficers • 260 TheSistersofSexualTreasure • 261 Station • 261 TheLanguageoftheBrag • 262 SeventhBirthdayoftheFirstChild • 263 TheUnjustlyPunishedChild • 264 TheMother • 264 alicia SUSkin oStriker • 265 TheLeafPile • 266 AQuestionofTime • 267 EverywomanHerOwnTheology • 269 TheDogsatLiveOakBeach,SantaCruz • 270 WhatWasLost • 270 Fix • 272 Minnie brUce Pratt • 273 TheBlueCup • 274 LearningtoWrite • 274 From“CrimeAgainstNature”(1) • 275 From“CrimeAgainstNature”(6) • 276 WalkingBackUpDepotStreet • 277 ChoppingPeppers • 279 PaiSley rekdal • 280 APornography • 281 DearLacuna,DearLard: • 282 Ode • 283 xv 4 contentS richard Shelton • 287 TheCreep • 288 IfIWereaDog • 289 TheLittleTownsofWestTexas • 290 InSearchofHistory • 291 PoliticsLastSummer • 292 MirandaoftheSorrows...