The New York Poets : An Anthology

by John Ashbery

For the first time, The New York Poets gathers in a single volume the best work of four extraordinary Frank O'Hara, John Ashbery, Kenneth Koch, and James Schuyler. By the early 1950s all four were settled in Manhattan, collaborating, competing and encouraging each other's radical experiments with language and form. Much of their work reflects their participation in the creative energies of the New York art scene, 'the floods of paint', to quote James Schuyler, 'in whose crashing surf we all scramble'. Believing that anything could be material for a poem, they transformed American poetry with their irreverent wit and daring.
Mark Ford's anthology is an essential introduction to four poets whose work has influenced poetry around the world. It includes detailed background information and a substantial bibliography.

Genres: Poetry, Anthologies

214 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2004

About the author

Formal experimentation and connection to visual art of noted American poet John Ashbery of the original writers of New York School won a Pulitzer Prize for Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror (1975).

From Harvard and Columbia, John Ashbery earned degrees, and he traveled of James William Fulbright to France in 1955. He published more than twenty best known collections, most recently A Worldly Country (2007). Wystan Hugh Auden selected early Some Trees for the younger series of Elihu Yale, and he later obtained the major national book award and the critics circle. He served as executive editor of Art News and as the critic for magazine and Newsweek. A member of the academies of letters and sciences, he served as chancellor from 1988 to 1999. He received many awards internationally and fellowships of John Simon Guggenheim and John Donald MacArthur from 1985 to 1990. People translated his work into more than twenty languages. He lived and from 1990 served as the Charles P. Stevenson Jr. professor of languages and literature at Bard college.

Reviews

[Jack Malik]

An excellent anthology.

I liked James Schuyler most (17 poems), then Frank O’Hara (13 poems), then John Ashbery (5 poems), and finally Kenneth Koch (4 pomes).

The New York School of Poets really challenge my perception of “what is poetry” and I gained a new horizon reading this collection.

10/10 Highly Recommend!

[Meg McCarthy]

yes!

[Chloe Proctor]

Wonderful poets but a little too brisk in selection. You'll find the selected works of each of these poets far more rewarding. Although it is nice to see them in dialogue with each other. The Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery sections feel particularly thin considering the diversity of each of these poets' work.

[Max]

A wonderful introduction to four essential poets. It contains a great selection of poems, and an extensive bibliography for all of the writers.

I'd written a review here http://thebookreviewofbooks.wordpress...

[tom]

i want more. there is such an energy here. it is life affirming, but as though unintentionally. each of the poets seem to be constructing interweaving maps - localised/personal histories, which on reflection form something messy, but greater, expanding further.

[Isabelle Woodcock]

Still don't like Frank O'Hara, will always love John Ashbery

[Alex Wexelman]

Truth be told, I'm not convinced this is the best representation of O'Hara or Schuyler, so take my ranking with a grain of salt, but I'd say, based on this presentation, I'd rank 'em: Kenneth Koch > James Schuyler > Frank O'Hara > John Ashbery. I'm not sure this would be true if I were to take into account their entire oeuvres each, but this is at least true of the present collection.

[Nat]

A wonderful anthology for a spectacular group of poets and friends!

I found myself fascinated with all of their works for different reasons. It is hard to even pick a real favourite! The anthology certainly got me interested in them and i can see myself enjoying other of their works.

[beau]

A lovely collection and evenly split between the four poets (because sometimes collections give wayyyyy too much page time to just one poet)…very enjoyable

[Tina]

I loved O’Hara’s work but the rest were rambling poets IMHO

[Mady Brown]

the sticky notes in my used copy of this book say “i love you Frank O’hara” and “Consumption oh lord” which about sums it up

[Douglas]

Kenneth Koch and James Schuyler were real finds. Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery, for me, not so much.

[Angbeen]

my beautiful beautiful gay boys........