Coming Close: Forty Essays on Philip Levine

by Mari L'Esperance (Editor), Tomás Q. Morín (Editor)

This collection of essays pays tribute to Philip Levine as teacher and mentor. Throughout his fifty-year teaching career, the Pulitzer Prize–winning Levine taught scores of younger poets, many of whom went on to become famous in their own right. These forty essays honor and celebrate one of our most vivid and gifted poets.

Whether in Fresno, New York, Boston, Detroit, or any of the other cities where Levine taught, his students benefited from his sharp, humorous honesty in the classroom. In these personal essays, poets spanning a number of generations reveal how their lives and work were forever altered by studying with Levine. The heartfelt tributes illuminate how one dedicated teacher’s intangible gifts can make a vast difference in the life of a developing poet, as well as providing insight into the changing tenor of the poetry workshop in the American university setting.

Here, poets as diverse as Nick Flynn and David St. John, Sharon Olds and Larry Levis, Ada Limon and Mark Levine, Malena Morling and Lawson Fusao Inada are united in their deep regard for Philip Levine. The voices echo and reverberate as each strikes its own honoring tone.

Contributors: Aaron Belz, Ciaran Berry, Paula Bohince, Shane Book, B. H. Boston, Xochiquetzal Candelaria, Colin Cheney, Michael Clifton, Michael Collier, Nicole Cooley, Kate Daniels, Blas Manuel De Luna, Kathy Fagan, Andrew Feld, Nick Flynn, Edward Hirsch, Sandra Hoben, Ishion Hutchinson, Lawson Fusao Inada, Dorianne Laux, Joseph O. Legaspi, Mark Levine, Larry Levis, Ada Limón, Elline Lipkin, Jane Mead, Dante Micheaux, Malena Mörling, John Murillo, Daniel Nester, Sharon Olds, January Gill O’Neil, Greg Pape, Kathleen Peirce, Sam Pereira, Jeffrey Skinner, Tom Sleigh, David St. John, Brian Turner, Robert Wrigley

214 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether or not you've had a mentor, you need to read this book. There is a wealth of information here for writers. I never had a mentor and reading these essays made me alternately regret it and be grateful I didn't. There's always an upside and a downside. The essays did make me want to know Phil Levine, a true person. I kept wondering while I read the book whether Phil and I, with our working class roots, would have hit it off or not. Without exception, the writers of these essays agree that he a tough cookie to study with, but honest and warm. I'm glad we still have him among us.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of essay tributes to form. U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine (January 10, 1928 – February 14, 2015) from colleagues and former students, many of whom also became established and well-respected poets, is a testament to Phil's lifelong belief that hard work is the only thing that matters.

Find out more about Phil Levine: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip...

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Viva Levine!