Selected Poems

Selected Poems (2007) – James Schuyler
Farrar, Straus and Giroux | ISBN: 9780374530891
Condition: Fair – Slanted Spine from Poor Storage | Sold by Crappy Old Books

Poetry. That extraordinary literary occupation in which somebody can spend three hours contemplating a cloud, a cup of coffee or an unremarkable afternoon, before producing twelve lines that somehow explain more about existence than an entire shelf of philosophy textbooks. Most people simply look out of the window. James Schuyler looked out of the window and made literature.

Welcome to Selected Poems, a captivating introduction to one of the most distinctive voices of twentieth-century American poetry, a writer who possessed the remarkable ability to transform everyday observations into something quietly profound, occasionally hilarious and unexpectedly moving.

James Schuyler was associated with the New York School of poets, alongside figures such as John Ashbery, Frank O’Hara and Kenneth Koch. This remarkable literary circle approached poetry with an enthusiasm for conversation, contemporary culture, artistic experimentation and the extraordinary possibilities concealed within apparently ordinary experience.

Schuyler’s particular genius lay in noticing things.

Weather, flowers, changing seasons, conversations, domestic interiors, friendships and fleeting emotional impressions all become material for his deceptively effortless verse.

Where another poet might summon ancient gods, dramatic storms and the collapse of civilisation, Schuyler could achieve something equally compelling by observing the light falling across a room.

It sounds suspiciously simple.

Naturally, it isn’t.

His poetry combines conversational language with remarkable sensitivity to rhythm, atmosphere and the subtle movements of thought. A seemingly casual observation can develop into an unexpected meditation upon friendship, loneliness, memory or the fleeting beauty of existence.

There is also humour, frequently understated and wonderfully observant, reminding readers that profound artistic insight need not arrive wearing a solemn expression and carrying an enormous philosophical burden.

Schuyler’s work often celebrates the immediate world without pretending that life is uncomplicated. His poems acknowledge uncertainty, emotional vulnerability and the passing of time while remaining attentive to the small pleasures that make ordinary existence worthwhile.

He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1981 for The Morning of the Poem, confirming his standing among the most accomplished American poets of his generation.

This 2007 Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition brings together a selection of his poetry, offering readers an opportunity to encounter a writer whose quiet originality has earned lasting admiration.

Condition: Fair. This copy has a noticeably slanted spine caused by poor storage, giving it a distinctly lopsided appearance. It is therefore offered as an honest reading copy rather than an immaculate collector’s specimen. The defect is reflected in the condition grading.

Offered by Crappy Old Books, this volume is an appealing acquisition for admirers of modern American poetry, collectors of New York School literature and readers who appreciate writing that discovers extraordinary meaning in the apparently ordinary.

A thoughtful, witty and rewarding collection from a poet who understood that everyday life contains more than enough material for great literature.

Because anyone can write a poem about love, death or the mysteries of the universe.

It takes a particularly gifted poet to write about the weather and leave you contemplating the meaning of existence.

And while this copy’s spine may lean slightly to one side, its poetry remains considerably better balanced than most of humanity.

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