Muriel Rukeyser held a visionary belief in the human capacity to create social change through language. She earned an international reputation as a powerful voice against enforced silences of all kind, against the violence of war, poverty, and racism. Her eloquent poetry of witness-of the Scottsboro Nine, the Spanish Civil War, the poisoning of the Gauley Bridge laborers-split the darkness covering a shameful world.

In addition to the complete texts of her twelve previously published books, this volume also features new poems discovered by the editors; Rukeyser's translations, including the first English translations of Octavio Paz's work; early work by Rukeyser not previously published in book form; and the controversial book-length poem Wake Island. An introduction by the editors traces Rukeyser's life and literary reputation and complements discerning annotations and textual notes to the poems.

About the Author
Janet E. Kaufman is assistant professor of English at the University of Utah. Anne F. Herzog is Dean of theSchool of Arts, Science, and Professional Studies at Springfield College. They are coeditors of "How Shall We Tell Each Other of the Poet?": The Life and Writing of Muriel Rukeyser.


Book Information
ISBN 9780822959243
Author Janet E. Kaufman
Format Paperback
Page Count 712
Imprint University of Pittsburgh Press
Publisher University of Pittsburgh Press