Earlier Poems [Paperback]

Franz Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2009

The haunting collection of poems that gathers the first four books of Pulitzer winner Franz Wright under one cover, where “fans old and new will find a feast amid famine” (Publishers Weekly), and discover how large this poet’s gift was from the start.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Nipping at the heels of his powerful God's Silence (2006), Wright's new book reexamines the origins of an innovative thinker and poet. Solitude, death, addiction, aging, and unseen presences ghost the pages of this collection, which highlights Wright's earlier poems. An "old soul" wisdom is present even in the twentysomething poet in his first book, and this collection verifies Wright's enormous talent from the get-go. Yet it also emphasizes how carefully Wright nurtured that talent into a commanding, mature poetic voice and vision. From empty streets to bus stations to reading rooms where the "other" may dwell, Wright's earnest searches, unflinching observations, and hard-won revelations seem subtle but are potently rousing. He achieves a level of balance between the unseen and seen, the lost and found, that, like Rilke's simultaneous sense of "stone in you and star," is masterful, to say the least. This volume is definitely one for poetry lovers. Janet St. John
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

“[Wright’s] hard-won revelations seem subtle but are potently rousing. He achieves a level of balance between the unseen and seen, the lost and found, that, like Rilke’s simultaneous sense of ‘stone in you and star,’ is masterful to say the least.” —Booklist

“Wright propels his work forward with clear details, brutally forthright self-knowledge, and a sense of being lost in America familiar even to the most found of us.” —Chicago Tribune

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; Reprint edition (July 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375711465
• ISBN-13: 978-0375711466
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.8 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #197,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Franz Wright's recent works include Earlier Poems, God's Silence, and The Beforelife (a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize). In 2004 his Walking to Martha's Vineyard received the Pulitzer Prize. He has been the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts grants, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Fellowship, and the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry, among other honors. He currently lives in Waltham, Massachusetts, with his wife, the translator and writer Elizabeth Oehlkers Wright.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Franz Wright's genius is a work in progress..., February 28, 2009

By 

Chris A. Humston - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Earlier Poems (Hardcover)

Like most poets, Franz Wright's fame and notoriety have been hard won. He is the son of a Pulitzer prize winner, yet stands entirely on his own merit and his legend is well deserved.

This book is a collection of his earlier writings, some of which would be difficult if not impossible to find were they not collected here. So, for that I am very appreciative.

One of the joys of this book is it allows the reader a peak into the mind of a young genius and blossoming poet. Wright's style and voice were still developing when these poems were originally written. I prefer his newer poems, but these are still tiny treasures not to be missed.