Hands Up!

by Ed Dorn, Amiri Baraka (Editor)

Selection of Edward Dorn's poems

Genres: Poetry

48 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1964

About the author

Edward Merton Dorn was born in Villa Grove, Illinois. He grew up in rural poverty during the Great Depression. He attended a one-room schoolhouse for his first eight grades. He later studied at the University of Illinois and at Black Mountain College (1950-55). At Black Mountain he came into contact with Charles Olson, who greatly influenced his literary worldview and his sense of himself as poet.[citation needed]

Dorn's final examiner at Black Mountain was Robert Creeley, with whom, along with the poet Robert Duncan, Dorn became included as one of a trio of younger poets later associated with Black Mountain and with Charles Olson.

Reviews

[Mat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book by Dorn that I have read so far. Some of the poems are difficult, others slightly obscure but upon rereading them two or three times they begin to take shape like beautiful stars coming into focus through your telescope, or like a wine that improves with more oxygen.

It’s hard to pick a favorite single poem out of this impressive collection but my personal winner probably goes to On the Debt My Mother Owed Sears Roebuck, of which a recording exists so you can hear Dorn reading it beautifully.