Juliana Spahr is an American poet, critic, and editor whose work is marked by a steadfast commitment to fostering the "value of reading" as a communal, democratic, and open process. Her poetry and critical studies inform each other, reflecting her belief in reading as a collective and democratic endeavor. Spahr focuses on creating connective reading and collective identity within her texts, encouraging new ways of engaging with literature. Her output offers readers an exploratory and inspiring experience, viewing literary engagement as an active component of societal dialogue.
Focusing on the themes of reading and identity, this book explores how experimental texts can empower readers. It promotes self-governing approaches to reading, emphasizing a collaborative relationship between the reader and the author, thereby fostering a sense of autonomy and equal engagement in the literary experience.
Exploring the innovative realm of documentary poetics, this work showcases the unique voice of a rising female experimental poet. The author blends personal narrative with broader social themes, creating a thought-provoking reflection on contemporary issues. Through her distinctive style, she challenges traditional forms and invites readers to engage with the text on multiple levels, making it a significant contribution to modern poetry.
Taking her cue from W. E. B. Du Bois, Juliana Spahr explores how state interests have shaped U.S. literature. What is the relationship between literature and politics? Can writing be revolutionary? Can art be autonomous or is escape from nations and nationalisms impossible? As her sobering study affirms, aesthetic resistance is easily domesticated.
Part planetary love poem, part 24/7 news flash, the hypnotic poems of This Connection of Everyone with Lungs wrap with equal, angular grace around lovers and battleships. These poems hear the tracer fire in a bird's song and capture cell division and troop deployments in the same expansive thought. They move through concentric levels of association and embrace ―from the space between the hands to the mesosphere and back again―touching everything in between. The book's focus shifts between local and global, public and private, individual and social. Everything gets through all five senses, through windows, between your sheets, under your skin.
Exploring the intersection of nature and contemporary socio-political issues, this collection of six poems delves into the act of writing poetry amidst ecological crisis and the rise of right-wing populism. The verses reflect on the beauty of the natural world while grappling with urgent environmental concerns and the challenges posed by political movements. Through vivid imagery and poignant themes, the poems invite readers to reflect on their relationship with nature and the implications of societal change.