Books by Kevin Stein

Stein''s poems reveal the constancy of the American quest for work, family, and dignity, even as they evoke the bruised but still redemptive fruit of human compassion.  

Most of the commentators fixate on American poetry's supposed 'death'. Proposing the vitality of American poetry, this title features essays that trace how we arrived here, and suggest where poetry is headed in our increasingly digital culture.

Although some critics have identified two phases in the poetry of James Wright and have isolated particulars of his movement from traditional to more experimental forms, few have noted also the elements of constancy in the evolution of his poetry. This book traces the unified growth of Wright's poetry.

Part of the "Illinois Poetry Series", this work presents an array of poetic forms, blending pathos, humor, and social commentary. It features these poems - ranging from meditative narratives to improvisational lyrics - that explore art's capacity to embody as well as express contemporary culture.

Winner of Poetry's Frederick Bock Prize and the Indiana Review Poetry Prize, the author casts a wide net over the "ineffable befuddlement" of everyday life. This book explores the shifting shore between self and other with clarity and compassion.

Poems reflecting the rich panoply of personal and public life in modern America, from the Poet Laureate of Illinois