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Lovejets: Queer Male Poets on 200 Years of Walt Whitman
Where the heck have you been, Walt Whitman?
Walt Whitman, author of Leaves of Grass, was born in 1819. The Stonewall riots happened 150 years later. On the bicentennial of Whitman’s birth and the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, over 80 poets pay homage to not only Walt Whitman, but also to queer poets and queer poetry and the vast and various events, revolutions public and private, that have shaken our world since 1819: who we are, where we are, where we have been, and where we might be going in the 21st century.
“This wide and impressive range of poetry echoing the spirit of Walt Whitman and his literary forebears demonstrates the essential embrace of community that we’ve always needed to feel whole with ourselves and among others, especially now during these tumultuous times. Celebrating what had to be largely hidden from view during Whitman’s day, the living queer male poets who grace the pages trumpet a glorious and unforgettable spectacle of passion and compassion.” —Richard Blanco, Presidential Inaugural Poet
Featured poets include Shane Allison, Jeffrey Angles (translator), M. J. Arcangelini, Geer Austin, Stuart Barnes, David J. Bauman, Jeffery Beam, Gary Boelhower, Charlie Bondhus, Bryan Borland, Jericho Brown, A. J. Chilson, Philip F. Clark, Jeffery Conway, Alfred Corn, David Cummer, Gavin Geoffrey Dillard, Patrick Donnelly, Arthur Durkee, Jim Elledge, Jack Fritscher, Keith Garebian, Alex Gildzen, Robert L. Giron, David Groff, Nicholas Alexander Hayes, Trebor Healey, Greg Hewett, Scott Hightower, Walter Holland, Andrew Howdle, Michael Hyde, George K. Ilsley, Curran Jeffery, Jee Leong Koh, Michael Lassell, Travis Chi Wing Lau, Daniel W.K. Lee, Timothy Liu, Chip Livingston, Raymond Luczak, Jeff Mann, Jaime Manrique, Herbert Woodward Martin, Marcos L. Martínez, Dermot Meagher, Jory Mickelson, Stephen S. Mills, Michael Kiesow Moore, SP Mulroy, Chael Needle, Eric Thomas Norris, Margaret Sayers Peden (translator), James Penha, Seth Pennington, Felice Picano, Martin Pousson, Christopher Records, William Reichard, Dennis Rhodes, Rocco Russo, Roberto F. Santiago, Gerard Sarnat, James Schwartz, P. C. Searce, Davis G. See, Gregg Shapiro, Ben Shields, Allen Smith, Michael D. Snediker, Frederick Speers, Malcolm Stuhlmiller, Mutsuo Takahashi, Atsusuke Tanaka, Guy Terrell, Ulysses Tetu, John Whittier Treat, David Trinidad, Mark Ward, Edmund White, Walt Whitman (of course!), Scott Wiggerman, Jim Wise, Cyril Wong, and Ian Young.
About the Editor: Raymond Luczak is the author and editor of over 20 books, including Flannelwood. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Walt Whitman, author of Leaves of Grass, was born in 1819. The Stonewall riots happened 150 years later. On the bicentennial of Whitman’s birth and the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, over 80 poets pay homage to not only Walt Whitman, but also to queer poets and queer poetry and the vast and various events, revolutions public and private, that have shaken our world since 1819: who we are, where we are, where we have been, and where we might be going in the 21st century.
“This wide and impressive range of poetry echoing the spirit of Walt Whitman and his literary forebears demonstrates the essential embrace of community that we’ve always needed to feel whole with ourselves and among others, especially now during these tumultuous times. Celebrating what had to be largely hidden from view during Whitman’s day, the living queer male poets who grace the pages trumpet a glorious and unforgettable spectacle of passion and compassion.” —Richard Blanco, Presidential Inaugural Poet
Featured poets include Shane Allison, Jeffrey Angles (translator), M. J. Arcangelini, Geer Austin, Stuart Barnes, David J. Bauman, Jeffery Beam, Gary Boelhower, Charlie Bondhus, Bryan Borland, Jericho Brown, A. J. Chilson, Philip F. Clark, Jeffery Conway, Alfred Corn, David Cummer, Gavin Geoffrey Dillard, Patrick Donnelly, Arthur Durkee, Jim Elledge, Jack Fritscher, Keith Garebian, Alex Gildzen, Robert L. Giron, David Groff, Nicholas Alexander Hayes, Trebor Healey, Greg Hewett, Scott Hightower, Walter Holland, Andrew Howdle, Michael Hyde, George K. Ilsley, Curran Jeffery, Jee Leong Koh, Michael Lassell, Travis Chi Wing Lau, Daniel W.K. Lee, Timothy Liu, Chip Livingston, Raymond Luczak, Jeff Mann, Jaime Manrique, Herbert Woodward Martin, Marcos L. Martínez, Dermot Meagher, Jory Mickelson, Stephen S. Mills, Michael Kiesow Moore, SP Mulroy, Chael Needle, Eric Thomas Norris, Margaret Sayers Peden (translator), James Penha, Seth Pennington, Felice Picano, Martin Pousson, Christopher Records, William Reichard, Dennis Rhodes, Rocco Russo, Roberto F. Santiago, Gerard Sarnat, James Schwartz, P. C. Searce, Davis G. See, Gregg Shapiro, Ben Shields, Allen Smith, Michael D. Snediker, Frederick Speers, Malcolm Stuhlmiller, Mutsuo Takahashi, Atsusuke Tanaka, Guy Terrell, Ulysses Tetu, John Whittier Treat, David Trinidad, Mark Ward, Edmund White, Walt Whitman (of course!), Scott Wiggerman, Jim Wise, Cyril Wong, and Ian Young.
About the Editor: Raymond Luczak is the author and editor of over 20 books, including Flannelwood. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- GenresPoetryLGBTGayAnthologies
297 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2019
79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 30, 2019
An important collection of poems by queer poets that pays tribute to the legacy of Walt Whitman and through that: the validity of the queer literary imagination. The book draws together established and new voices and presents in 295 pages a vital cosmos of poetries. The title is drawn from an entry in one of Whitman's notebooks and recognises how Whitman seeded so much of modern poetry. Even the belligerent Pound had to eventually make a pact with the Sage of Camden.
February 10, 2020
Today’s random slice from Jim Wise:
My gods can go
days without shaving
Strong diverse collection, with layers of voices echoing our ancestors, acknowledging our influences, and proclaiming our presence.
My gods can go
days without shaving
Strong diverse collection, with layers of voices echoing our ancestors, acknowledging our influences, and proclaiming our presence.
May 22, 2019
A worthy homage
Raymond Luczak is a deaf, gay writer whose poetry transcends most standard boundaries to become something completely unique. In an interview Luczak stated `My deafness wasn't diagnosed until I was two and half years old. I had a hearing aid and speech therapy. I didn't learn sign language until I was 15, [and] it was Signing Exact English (SEE). I didn't know there was Deaf culture. I began to write daily after my grandmother died, so I've been at it for over 30 years. Writing was my refuge when no one in my mainstream classes wanted to interact with me.'
Now Raymond continues his thoughts first stated in his book of poetry – THE KISS OF WALT WHITMAN STILL ON MY LIPS – in serving as an editor for eighty highly respected poets writing about Whitman. His description of the content is well stated – ‘Walt Whitman, author of Leaves of Grass, was born in 1819. The Stonewall riots happened 150 years later. On the bicentennial of Whitman's birth and the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, over 80 poets pay homage to not only Walt Whitman, but also to queer poets and queer poetry and the vast and various events, revolutions public and private, that have shaken our world since 1819: who we are, where we are, where we have been, and where we might be going in the 21st century.’
This is an important and meaningful survey of the influence of master poet Walt Whitman whose significance to the world of literature and to the cause of gay rights continues to flourish. This is a fine anthology.
Raymond Luczak is a deaf, gay writer whose poetry transcends most standard boundaries to become something completely unique. In an interview Luczak stated `My deafness wasn't diagnosed until I was two and half years old. I had a hearing aid and speech therapy. I didn't learn sign language until I was 15, [and] it was Signing Exact English (SEE). I didn't know there was Deaf culture. I began to write daily after my grandmother died, so I've been at it for over 30 years. Writing was my refuge when no one in my mainstream classes wanted to interact with me.'
Now Raymond continues his thoughts first stated in his book of poetry – THE KISS OF WALT WHITMAN STILL ON MY LIPS – in serving as an editor for eighty highly respected poets writing about Whitman. His description of the content is well stated – ‘Walt Whitman, author of Leaves of Grass, was born in 1819. The Stonewall riots happened 150 years later. On the bicentennial of Whitman's birth and the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, over 80 poets pay homage to not only Walt Whitman, but also to queer poets and queer poetry and the vast and various events, revolutions public and private, that have shaken our world since 1819: who we are, where we are, where we have been, and where we might be going in the 21st century.’
This is an important and meaningful survey of the influence of master poet Walt Whitman whose significance to the world of literature and to the cause of gay rights continues to flourish. This is a fine anthology.
April 26, 2019
This anthology is a brilliant collection in that it is not alone about Walt Whitman, but what he was borne out from his barbaric yawp. Luczack should be commended for creating this threaded collection of poets and their poems on or inspired by other poets who were as inspired as we are today by the great grey poet. I can still remember being enthralled at 17 reading Leaves of Grass repeatedly during that school year. I found kinship in his poet and find new kinships with other poets that are new to me or as with my own poem, "Prelegy" written in memoriam for Paul Monette, which is included in LoveJets, a new kinship of poets who are as touched by Monette's work as I have been since I first read Love Alone. But Monette is not the honoree here it is Whitman who gave his life to create on his own merits a masterpiece which lights our way poetically and LoveJets does that collection great service by offering up more poets inspired by Walt, poets like Lorca, O'Hara, Ashberry who are no longer with us but are that flicker in the flame of the bard.
September 2, 2019
To put it short, Lovejets is a literary triumph!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews