This selection of William Jay Smith's work of sixty years covers the entire career of one of America's acknowledged poetic masters. It moves from the dark pre-war lyrics (Quail in Autumn) to the powerful long-lined free verse of the 1960s (The Tin Can). Here are memorable WWII lyrics (Dark Valentine) and masterful light verse (The Tall Poets), displaying the wit that enlivens all of Smith's work. Previously uncollected poems range from a haunting delineation of the ironies of age in "The Shipwreck" to the dramatic intensity ...
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This selection of William Jay Smith's work of sixty years covers the entire career of one of America's acknowledged poetic masters. It moves from the dark pre-war lyrics (Quail in Autumn) to the powerful long-lined free verse of the 1960s (The Tin Can). Here are memorable WWII lyrics (Dark Valentine) and masterful light verse (The Tall Poets), displaying the wit that enlivens all of Smith's work. Previously uncollected poems range from a haunting delineation of the ironies of age in "The Shipwreck" to the dramatic intensity of The Cherokee Lottery, which deals with the forced removal of Indian tribes east of the Mississippi. Praise for William Jay Smith: "A most gifted and original poet... One of the very few who cannot be confused with anybody else." -- Richard Wilbur "William Jay Smith has been one of our best poets for more than sixty years, and The Cherokee Lottery is his masterwork: taut, harrowing, eloquent, and profoundly memorable." -- Harold Bloom "His best poems are unlike anything else in contemporary American literature... Although often based on realistic situations, Smith's compressed, formal lyrics develop language musically in a way which summons an intricate, dreamlike set of images and associations." -- Dana Gioia "William Jay Smith has given us many of the truest and purest poems an American has written: the most resonantly musical, the most magical." -- X. J. Kennedy
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Seller's Description:
Good-Bumped and creased book with tears to the extremities, but not affecting the text block, may have remainder mark or previous owner's name-GOOD Standard-sized.
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Seller's Description:
John DePol. 8vo, pp. 241. Wood engraving by Jophn DePol. A fine copy in publisher's printed wraps. Signed by the author. William Jay Smith was born in Winnfield, Louisiana. He was brought up at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, south of St. Louis. Smith received his A.B. and M.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, and continued his studies at Columbia University, and Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Smith is the author of ten collections of poetry of which two were finalists for the National Book Award. He was appointed the nineteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1968 to 1970.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Very Good jacket. Size: 6x0x9; Octavo, 9 1/2" tall, 240pp, black cloth. A fine, clean, neat hard cover first edition with little shelf wear; hinges and binding tight, paper white. In a near fine, lightly edge worn dust jacketmall scuff to rear panel of dustjacket. Publisher's promo sheet and author's photo laid in.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. First Printing with full number line. Very good hardcover in very good dust jacket. Very light wear to DJ. Binding is tight, sturdy, and square; boards and text also very good. Exterior looks great, shelfwear is very minor. An excellent copy. Ships same or next business day from Dinkytown in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Seller's Description:
Good-Bumped and creased book with tears to the extremities, but not affecting the text block, may have remainder mark or previous owner's name-GOOD Standard-sized.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in near fine jacket. Inscribed to fellow writer Hilary Masters by Smith on the front flyleaf and also signed by him on the titlepage. First edition, 1988. Cloth hardcover in dust jacket, 240 pp., clean unmarked text, Near Fine copy in Near Fine dust jacket. Dust jacket housed in archival dust jacket protector.
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Seller's Description:
Fine in Fine jacket. First edition. Fine in about fine dustwrapper with two very short tears on the front panel. Warmly Inscribed by Smith to poet Dan Hoffman.
