Publicity

Spells: New and Selected Poems

Annie Finch’s new book, Spells: New and Selected Poems, will be in stores in time for Poetry Month. Annie is a master of form. You may enjoy the sounds of the poems when read aloud. Read with friends! Stay tuned for events announcements.

 

You can read a sample here.

AWP Boston

Thanks to our authors and readers for making AWP special, year after year. Special thanks to Samuel (Chip) Delany, Kit Reed, Kazim Ali, Rae Aramntrout, Annie Finch, and Jena Osman for participating in readings, and to Dennis Barone for organizing a panel on Connecticut poetry. Thanks to everyone else for stopping by our booth to say hello and visit. It is always wonderful to see so many friends in one location. See you all in Seattle!

Jena Osman, Rae Armantrout, Annie Finch, Kazim Ali.

 

“Making Freedom” finds wide exposure

Wesleyan UP’s book Making Freedom: The Extraordinary Life of Venture Smith is finding its way into more libraries across Connecticut. 850 copies of the book will be donated to libraries statewide, thanks to co-author Chandler Saint and congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. The distribution project was announced  by five members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation, at a press conference held at the state Capitol earlier this week.

Read more about the book here. View a video of an announcement of the project to distribute the book here. Read an article from The Day newspaper here.

 

Harvey Shapiro, 1924-2013

We are honored to have published the poetry of Harvey Shapiro, who recently passed at the age of 88. Read the full obituary, from the New York Times, here.

 

BROOKLYN NIGHTS

We are like inhabitants
of a southern river town
gathering summer evenings by the water.
A flock of bridges greet us
and the stone hunks of Manhattan.
The power of redemptive love, like
New Jersey red, has gone into the clouds.
Everyone must feel it.

 

 

COMBAT

In the war in which I fought
not all my actions were heroic.
I remember particularly the time
I bargained with God—the plane
seemed to be going down,
smoke filled the cabin—
if he would only get me out alive,
I would … What was my promise,
my heartfelt vow?  Tears in my eyes,
probably, and trembling.  I might
have been speaking to a woman.

 

CHANCE MEETING

Just family trouble, said Lear,
and what’s new with you?

 

DESK

After my death, my desk,
which is now so cluttered
will be bare wood, simple and shining,
as I wanted it to be in my life,
as I wanted my life to be.

 

Wesleyan UP Influence Map

Please enjoy our interactive Influence Map, highlighting our press’s international scope. Click here to learn more about the map.

Congratulations to David Ferry

Congratulations to David Ferry for his National Book Award in the Poetry category. Ferry published his first volume of poetry, On the Way to the Island, with Wesleyan UP in 1960.