The United States of poetry

The United States of Poetry combines images from the breakthrough TV series on which it is based with over 80 poems to reveal this nation as never before. It is the first anthology to capture the passion, intelligence, and variety of the New Poetry that is sweeping the country. Three years in the making, including a 10-week, 13,000-mile road trip to film the poets on their own turf, this book is for everyone with a love for the power of the word. The United States of Poetry will inspire and delight as it unveils a new nation, conceived in language, and dedicated to the proposition that you don't have to turn off your mind to have a good time. From renowned Nobel Laureates (Brodsky, Milosz, Walcott) to rock 'n' rollers (Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen), from the Beats (Ginsberg, Baraka, Ferlinghetti) to cowboy poets, rappers, and former President Jimmy Carter, this book is a feast of language and image, energy and meaning. Here, the disparate and unheard languages of our country - pidgin, Spanish, hip-hop, Creole, Tagalog, and American sign Language - speak out for themselves, weave together the accents and dialects of our nation.