poets, american

An exploration of the life and work of 19th-century American writer Walt Whitman, whose poetry is known for both its passionate celebration of American life and its direct, speechlike style.

A hilarious and moving memoir--in the spirit of Anne Lamott and Nora Ephron--about a woman who returns home to her close-knit Mennonite family after a personal crisis.

"You never heard of the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar? Child, where've you been? So begins this biography of a great nineteenth-century American poet. From his childhood in poverty through his struggles to find acceptance as a writer to his immense fame and untimely death, Dunbar's story is one of triumph and tragedy. But his much-beloved poetry, written in both Standard English and in dialect, remains a legacy that continues to delight readers today.".

Examines the life of African American poet and slave Phyllis Wheatley.

A biography of Beat Generation poet, Allen Ginberg, discussing his childhood, his works, and his impact of the counterculture movement of 1960s and New York's 1970s punk scene.

The only sibling left in the Dickinson house in Amherst, Massachusetts, in the winter of 1849, Emily gets a dog who becomes her constant companion and who is featured in some of the poems she writes. Includes brief notes on the life and work of Emily Dickinson.

A biography of nineteenth-century American poet Emily Dickinson, focusing on her lifelong struggle with religious belief, and relating her personal development--as it can be charted through her writings--to what is known of the politics, and religious, social, and intellectual history of her times.

"Grammy Award-winning artist and poet J. Ivy bares his soul in this inspirational memoir of pain transformed into healing and empowerment. Known as "hip-hop's favorite poet," J. Ivy is a true pioneer and trendsetter who has bridged the worlds of hip-hop and performance poetry through his appearances on HBO's Def Poetry and his collaboration with Kanye West and Jay-Z. But throughout his success, he carried with him the pain of being abandoned by his father and growing up in the tough neighborhoods of Chicago's South Side. So he sat down with pen and paper and processed his pain the only way he knew how--through poetry. The resulting poem, Dear Father, became his vehicle of forgiveness and healing. It is a pivotal poem that has touched and inspired the lives of millions. Fused with his signature raw lyricism and street consciousness, J. Ivy's memoir shows what it takes to deal with your emotions before your emotions deal with you. His story is personal yet universal, and will inspire others to channel whatever pain they have experienced into their own powerful gift of expression"--.