100 Essential Modern Poems by Women

From Booklist
Parisi, former editor of Poetry magazine, covers a gratifying stretch of literary and social terrain in his lively introduction to this distinctive anthology. Not only does he discuss the major contributions women poets have made to modern English-language poetry in terms of formal innovation but he also traces the link between changes in women’s lives and liberating poetic experimentation and self-expression. And the explication does not end there. Parisi and coeditor Welton provide strikingly descriptive, genuinely informative, and zestfully interpretative profiles of each poet, from trailblazers Emily Dickinson, Amy Lowell (a large woman with large ambitions), and Mina Loy to Edna St. Vincent Millay, Elizabeth Bishop, down-to-earth New Zealander Fleur Adcock, Amy Clampitt, Sharon Olds (notable for her brave if often painful candor), Lucille Clifton (who writes in a minimalist style to maximum effect), Ellen Bryant Voight (a well-grounded poet), and Louise Erdrich. The 100 diverse and dynamic poets are splendidly well chosen, as are the poems, creating an unusually useful and pleasurable volume that can serve as both primer and catalyst to further reading. --Donna Seaman

Review
"Have you ever wanted to immerse yourself in lavish language and brilliant verse, but haven't a clue where to start? Whether it's your first time delving into poetic masterpieces or if you're familiar with the greats included in the collection, this book is for you." --Today's Chicago Woman Magazine

"Joseph Parisi's 100 Essential Modern Poems by Women fulfills most fully the traditional function of the anthology." -- Carrie Fountain, Austin American-Statesman

"Fine selection, with illuminating notes and background material. This volume is a pleasure to read and to own." -- Brooke Allen

"From Gwendolyn Brooks' rhythmic reflections on Chicago's South Side to Linda Pastan's direct musings on a high-school reunion, you're bound to find a bit of yourself between the lines--we did." -- Chicago Magazine

"Mighty and complex chain of voices...a smart, handy anthology, essential, indeed, to anyone's library." -- Billy Collins

"Parisi has encapsulated a literary age in a manner worthy of Dr. Johnson." -- Paula Deitz, editor, The Hudson Review

"Unusually useful and pleasurable volume...covers a gratifying stretch of literary and social terrain." -- DONNA SEAMAN, Booklist

"What makes the poets in this book so remarkable is not their gender but their genius." -- Adam Kirsch

"I found the juxtaposition of the brief biographies with the selected poems in each of the forty-nine short chapters a very effective and enjoyable way of making the reader acquainted with these remarkable women in a way that could not be achieved by just reading the poems." ----John Malone, Senior Women

"Joseph Parisi and Kathleen Welton edited this entry-level tome with curious readers in mind, not poetry snobs, and it shows." -- Chicago Magazine, May 2008

"Spreading the word about female poets is the impetus behind this anthology of 150 years of exceptional women's poetry, along with lively profiles of the writers." -- Washington Post, April 2008

What I like most about this book are the commentaries to the poems. I am certainly delighted that this volume about women poets has been assembled. -- Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer, lecturer and author