The Body Electric: America's Best Poetry from The American Poetry Review

by Stephen Berg (Editor), David Bonanno (Editor), Arthur Vogelsang (Editor)

"The very existence of this book is news, and its contents are exquisite literature."― Philadelphia Inquirer A breathtaking, incomparable overview of American poetry at the turn of the millennium, from experimental language poetry to traditional formal verse, with all the vital, monumental stops between, The Body Electric captures the spirit of contemporary American poetry. Among the 180 poets included in this collection are Ai, John Ashbery, John Berryman, Charles Bukowski, Lucille Clifton, Carolyn Forche, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Hass, Seamus Heaney, Kenneth Koch, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Derek Walcott, plus a generous array of exciting new poets from recent years. The breadth and innovation of American poetry as well as the shifting styles and tastes of over a quarter of a century are represented in this volume. No other anthology gives such a complete and wide-ranging representation of American poetry today.

Genres: Poetry, Anthologies

864 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can one say about a 774-page compilation of contemporary poetry (as of the year 2000)? I loved a handful of the poems, liked about half of them, hated a handful, and disliked the rest. By my count, 180 poets were represented, and in alphabetical order. Just under fifty had feminine names, and a half dozen or so poets just gave their initials. It's hard to avoid the conclusion that a large majority were men. I don't know if that reflects the bias of The American Poetry Review. The volume includes quite a few names that will be familiar to all contemporary poetry readers--John Ashbery, Ted Berrigan, Charles Bukowski, Lucille Clifton, Rita Dove, Allen Ginsberg, Donald Hall, Joy Harjo, Seamus Heaney, Maxine Kumin, Stanley Kunitz, Denise Levertov, Czeslaw Milosz, Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, Charles Simic, Gerald Stern, Robert Penn Warren, etc.--but most names will be unknown to all but the most devoted poetry afficionados.

I read the poems a few pages a day over about half a year. It's hard to formulate a theory about why the editors chose the poems they did, but I feel like a shorter volume was called for. Full disclosure: I may enjoy reading "prose poems," but I have never been convinced that they are really poetry. At least one in this collection seems to me a good short story.

[Isla McKetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this book ages ago when I knew almost nothing about poetry. Reading slowly through the poems was an excellent education in what calls to me and what doesn't. This book helped me find poets I adore like Lucille Clifton and Carol Muske-Dukes.

I still don't know a lot about poetry, but I do know now that many of the poems in this collection are more conservative than I'd like. Still, I'm very glad I took the time to read it.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting read because it's a collection of poetry the editors think represents the best poems published in The American Poetry Review during a certain period of time. So reading it gives a skewed view of each poet included as the poem or poems included might not correspond at all with what the reader believes to be their best.

[Ann M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best collection, imo.

[Rude E · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great look at poetry according to The American Poetry Review...there are Great Poets in this edition.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a good one. Packed and very diverse.

[Ron Mohring · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hardly "breathtaking" or "incomparable," but yes, a good anthology.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing collection of fantastic poetry!

[Brick Road]

Stimulating poems here thus far! Above average anthology in my opinion.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection.

"I have enough dead people as it is. Indeed,
Even if my suffering is attributable to the living,
I have all these dead people cluttering up my mind."

[S.]

Much of it, anyway.

[Kristen Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but it loses a star because I hated the class so much.