Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Naming the Lost: The Fresno Poets-Interviews & Essays, preserves an amazing nexus of poetic talent and fellowship, and documents the providence that brought so many outstanding poets to Fresno-early '60s through the '80s-a confluence and coincidence of talent and personalities unlikely to be seen again. The first anthology of Fresno poets, Down at the Santa Fe Depot, appeared in 1970. That was followed by Piecework in 1987 and How Much Earth in 2001. As new voices emerged, each anthology grew a little longer to accommodate them. The Fresno Poets became something spoken about. Some called it the Fresno school, but I never liked that designation. What I cherish is that in Fresno, poetry is not a competitive sport. We all support each other, and everyone is happy when one of us publishes a new book. "Are you writing" is as familiar a form of greeting as "hello" here. There is no school of similar aims and styles but there is a vibrant community of vastly different aims and styles. I don't want to disparage any city, so I'll just randomly say that no one speaks of the Tampa poets, or the Kansas City poets or the Phoenix poets. But the Fresno poets is a thing, a beautiful, unlikely, but real thing. It has been an inspiring place to spend a career and has given me many rich friendships.
Synopsis
Philip Levine came to teach at Fresno State in 1958 and Peter Everwine followed in 1962; C.G. Hanclicek came in 1966 and the initial group of Fresno poets collected here became students and colleagues of theirs. Sadly, about one third of the poets in Naming the Lost are no longer with us. This book focuses then on the community of poets first coming through Fresno, beginning in the early 1960s, starting it all off.
Naming the Lost: The Fresno Poets--Interviews & Essays, preserves an amazing nexus of poetic talent and fellowship, and documents the providence that brought so many outstanding poets to Fresno--early '60s through the '80s--a confluence and coincidence of talent and personalities unlikely to be seen again.