The World in Us [Hardcover]

Michael Lassell (Author), Elena Georgiou (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000

In the first substantial collection of gay and lesbian poetry in over a decade, editors Georgiou and Lassell present significant work by forty-six women and men-all living, working poets-at the height of the their creative powers. With selections from major, established poets (marily Hacker, J.D. McClatchy, Olga Broumas, and Mark Doty, among many others) to emerging artists (letta Nely, Justin Chin, Mark Wunderlich, Regie Cabic, and more), The World in Us is poetry with its roots in the active voice.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Twenty years ago, an anthology of poetry by openly gay and lesbian writers would have been uneven at best, and at worst an embarrassment. Even now, as the editors of this watershed volume attest, a number of our more accomplished poets (mostly of the "pre-Stonewall generation") decline to have their sexual identities made public, or their work associated with gay and lesbian culture. One hopes that their reluctance won't prevent them from reading The World in Us and being dazzled--or shamed--by the daring and eclectic work of these 46 living, midcareer writers who are actively producing queer-themed poetry. With such a wide variety of work included, there's something here for almost everyone, although aficionados of pop culture will be especially pleased, with poems devoted to David Cassidy (Dennis Cooper's "David Cassidy Then"), Marlo Thomas (Jeffrey Conway's "Marlo Thomas in Seven Parts and Epilogue"), and the glamorous Kennedys (Eileen Myles's "An American Poem"). Among the well-established poets here are Marilyn Hacker, David Trinidad, Rafael Campo, and Olga Broumas (represented by a somewhat eccentric selection), while a number of the novices included are young poets involved in the burgeoning spoken-word movement. Each of these writers offers a jolt or a caress, ample evidence of the richness of the poetry scene and the extravagant talents of queer writers. In particular, don't miss the work of Cyrus Cassell, Wayne Koestenbaum (author of The Queen's Throat), or Minnie Bruce Pratt. "We hardly need a place at anyone else's table," the editors note, "when our own dining room is full to bursting." --Regina Marler

From Library Journal

From urban slam-fests to government-sponsored verse on public transportation, poetry seems to be enjoying a renaissance of interest these days, and this collection adds another chorus of powerful voices to the song. A wide variety of form and style is represented, from the hip-hop beat of urban street slang to the steady, studied cadence of more meditative verse. This is poetry that does not flinch from life but rather confronts it head-on. Everything that life is about, love and death, AIDS and lust and yearning, is confronted, distilled, and recorded. Well-known poets such as Olga Broumas, Alfred Corn, Robert Gluck, and Marilyn Hacker appear alongside new names with equally impressive talents. Of course, an anthology is only as good as the editors' choices, and Lassell and Georgiou (both accomplished authors and editors) have chosen uniformly strong writers. Interestingly, the introduction states that several well-known poets declined to have their work included, embarrassed perhaps by the unabashedly gay nature of the anthology. Nevertheless, this is an exciting collection that beautifully describes the vibrant state of contemporary American poetry. Recommended for most collections.
-Jeffery Ingram, Newport P.L., OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312209436
• ISBN-13: 978-0312209438
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #677,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A More Open Tour of an Enriched Country, This Time, March 21, 2000

By 

Brian Kevin Beck "infovoyeur" (Whitewater, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The World in Us (Hardcover)

After waiting a decade for this one, I'm immenselyrelieved. This book's only predecessor was a "landmark" (butlimited) 1988 collection edited by C. Morse and J. Larkin (out of print). Suppose that "reading an anthology" is like "visiting a foreign country." Well, in its well-meant attempt to raise political awareness, that earlier book seemed to trumpet multicultural diversity, which often drowned out artistic excellence in the tradeoff. As if on an official tour of a totalitarian country, I encountered many blatty propaganda lectures, touring the factories and monuments (poems with messages). But where were "the people," the individual poets' voices and craft? Thin work seemed included just so all minority-groups were included. A decade later, not so here this time! In THE WORLD IN US, ideology defers to the hundred true flowers of literary artistry for its own sake. In the 221 poems of these 46 currently-writing American poets, I can (to continue the travel analogy) depart from the Intourist route, can visit the "neighborhood cafes" where true "plural voices" speak--not those of ethnic groups, but of fingerprint-unique individual writers. I see the "flower gardens" of imagery, the "craft shops" of polished language. I view the "playgrounds" where poet-athletes sportively play with fixed forms, with the cool-toned mature control which is good style. In short, last decade's liberationist necessities have matured out here to where the only Message, is the poem's vision itself. You'll surely enjoy. My only regret is that only 46 writers appear. I would have preferred a goal which the editors explicitly rejected, "an overview or a broad sampling of the field." Instead, they sought "a long, curated poetry reading in book form." But my personal preference here cannot be a valid criticism of their decision which was bona fide. And anyhow 221 poems is a rich bouquet indeed.....I was glad to see included, co-editor Lassell's poem "How To Watch Your Brother Die." I taught this perennial blockbuster for semesters in college freshman English 101. Always, its magic turned surly, resistant, and yes, homophobic student-readers into thoughtful, changed appreciators. Now there you do have both political awareness and also poetic artistry pulling in tandem. You also have it in many of the other 220 flowers in this foreign, familiar land.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Cover; Hit or Miss Contents, November 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The World in Us (Hardcover)

I commend the editors for the packaging. But as my momma once pointed out, pretty packages can be deceiving. And there is no greater disappointment than opening some tantalizing package only to discover that what's underneath the pleasant surface is socks! Oh, certainly there's a bit of meat and substance, but not nearly what you were hoping to sink your teeth into. I chewed thoughtfully over phrases by Dennis Cooper, Mark Bibbins, Carl Phillips and D. A. Powell. But Marilyn Hacker and Mary Doty left me limp. And the editors showed no shame in including yards of their own weak material, cheapening the overall effect of an otherwise interesting line of garments. For shame, girls!