City of the Big Shoulders: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry

by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Editor)

Chicago has served as touchstone and muse to generations of writers and artists defined by their relationship to the city’s history, lore, inhabitants, landmarks, joys and sorrows, pride and shame. The poetic conversations inspired by Chicago have long been a vital part of America’s literary landscape, from Carl Sandburg and Gwendolyn Brooks to experimental writers and today’s slam poets. The one hundred contributors to this vibrant collection take their materials and their inspirations from the city itself in a way that continues this energetic dialogue. The cultural, ethnic, and aesthetic diversity in this gathering of poems springs from a variety of viewpoints, styles, and voices as multifaceted and energetic as the city itself. Cristin O’Keefe “I want to eat / in a city smart enough to know that if you / are going to have that heart attack, you might / as well have the pleasure of knowing // you’ve really earned it”; Renny “In the heat of May 1937, my grandfather / sits in the spring grass of an industrial park / with hundreds of striking steelworkers”; Joey “The wind pulls a muscle / as fans yell the vine off the outfield wall, / mustard-stained shirts, hot dog smiles, and all.” The combined energies of these poems reveal the mystery and beauty that is Second City, the City by the Lake, New Gotham, Paris on the Prairie, the Windy City, the Heart of America, and Sandburg’s iconic City of the Big Shoulders.

Genres: Poetry

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2012

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a few awful poems in here, odes to Chicago deep dish pizza and the like. But there are many poems that I was quite taken by, and some of these are good enough to support the whole collection.

[Daxon Greystone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this anthology. As with any anthology there were duds and perspectives that didn't move me, but I felt that every poem really communicated *something* about Chicago, and many hit my right in the chest about the city I love. I borrowed this from the library and want to grab a copy for myself to reference and to share with Chicagoan friends who enjoy poetry.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love having these poems with me when I visit Chicago and sharing them with fellow travelers. They're even better when I'm at home, unable to visit and missing the city.

[Max Potthoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some pretty lame-o poems in here, but like others have said, the strong ones really carry the anthology. Given how this collection is an ode to the idiosyncratic but shared experience that anyone who grew up in Chicago/Chicagoland carries with them, I almost like the friction that is created between the bad poems and good ones. It's like the city in that way, an infrastructure of gray bearing fruit to some of the finest cultural beauty in this country. I was taken by Van Cleave's introduction and Kathyrn Almy's "Routes". Like Van Cleave, when I'm not in Chicago, I find myself assembling an identity based on things I thought very little about while I lived there..WGN, pizza, da Lake, da Bulls, etc. Now that I am here for a year, I take comfort in the fact that millions of people suffer through the oppressive cold in winter to enjoy a few great days in summer. Out of pain comes joy, or something like that; in Chicago, this is true...in this anthology, this is true. Having grown up on the fringe of one of Chicago's lovely and rank forest preserves, I got chills at Almy's last four lines, "paved with broken glass. I walked inside/ my own escape set against weedy prairies, gray/ winter oaks-all the dusty city nature, lost/ under the enormous space above my head."

[Oswego Public Library District]

This collection is a must read for anyone who enjoys poetry and has lived in Chicagoland. The poems included in City of the Big Shoulders: an Anthology of Chicago Poetry are about the Chicago experience. Readers will discover poetry about Wrigley Field, Chicago architecture, immigration, pizza, family, and more. Many of the poems are contemporary, but a few are written looking back on the past. City of the Big Shoulders comes with a guarantee; according to the editor Ryan Van Cleave in his Editor’s note, “at least three poems in this book will unlock a memory.” - JM

Place a hold on City of the Big Shoulders: an Anthology of Chicago Poetry.

Looking for something a little more Sandburg-y? Try Chicago Poems.

[Riegs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some lower stars for the cheese factor ("Chicago Deep Dish" - really?), but I found a few gems in this one.

The Gems
"Routes" - Kathryn Almy
"Ravenswood" - Stuart Dybek
"150 Years of Chicago Architecture" - Dina Elenbogen
"Dearborn North Apartments" - Lola Haskins
"How to Hear Chicago" - Paul Martinez Pompa
"Wishbone" - Don Share
"At the Library" - Janet Wondra

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's definitely some great poems about Chicago in here. It is missing some of the more classic Chicago poets; however, I'm guessing Mr. Cleave's intention was to bring together poems that would be recognizable as distinctly Chicago experiences. It's a great read.