In Common Wealth Sarah Kennedy and R. T. Smith mine the deep vein of Virginia poetry to present a comprehensive collection of contemporary works that reflects the vibrant community of poets working today. Notable for its ethnic diversity, Common Wealth showcases the work of fifty-three poets — all of whom have a close connection to the Commonwealth — ranging from the virtually unknown to the well established, and representing all regions of the state.

Contributors:

Talvikki Ansel * Jennifer Atkinson * Molly Bendall * Kelly Cherry * Michael Chitwood * Rosanne Coggeshall * Stephen Cushman * Richard Dillard * Gregory Donovan * Rita Dove * Claudia Emerson * Forrest Gander * George Garrett * Margaret Gibson * Nikki Giovanni * John Haines * Cathryn Hankla * Henry Hart * David Huddle * T. R. Hummer * Julia Johnson * Sam Kashner * Sally Keith * Sarah Kennedy * Peter Klappert * Jeanne Larsen * Edward C. Lynskey * Heather Ross Miller * Elizabeth Seydel Morgan * Debra Nystrom * Gregory Orr * Eric Pankey * Jim Peterson * Hermine Pinson * Lucinda Roy * Steve Scafidi * Nancy Schoenberger * Tim Seibles * Dana Littlepage Smith * Dave Smith * R. T. Smith * Ron Smith * Katherine Soniat * Lisa Russ Spaar * Dan Stryk * Dabney Stuart * Eleanor Ross Taylor * Henry Taylor * Eric Trethewey * Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon * Reetika Vazirani * Ellen Bryant Voigt * Charles Wright

Sarah Kennedy is Assistant Professor of English at Mary Baldwin College and the author of Double Exposure, Flow Blue, and From the Midland Plain. R. T. Smith is the editor of Shenandoah magazine at Washington and Lee University and the author of several books, including Messenger, Trespasser, and The Cardinal Heart.

A collection of contemporary poetry as broad and various as Virginia itself. In Common Wealth Sarah Kennedy and R. T. Smith mine the deep vein of Virginia poetry to present a comprehensive collection of contemporary works that reflects the vibrant community of poets working today. Notable for its ethnic diversity, Common Wealth showcases the work of fifty-three poets--all of whom have a close connection to the Commonwealth--ranging from the virtually unknown to the well established, and representing all regions of the state.