Uncommonplace

Brought together here in one volume are sixty-seven vibrant poets united by deep ties to Louisiana. They sing of this uncommon place in voices enticingly diverse. Professor, grandmother, petroleum landman, insurance salesman—they are black and white; young and old; French- and English-speaking; native, ­transient, displaced, and even “recovering” Louisianians. They hail not only from cities, small towns, and farms throughout Louisiana, but also from states across the country where, despite time and distance, many continue to think of themselves as belonging to the bayous and cottonfields of their former home.

Included are writers of considerable re­nown—such as Catharine Savage Brosman, Kelly Cherry, Andrei Codrescu, Yusef Komunyakaa, Pinkie Gordon Lane, David Middleton, Sue Owen, and Dave Smith—and others known better regionally. Each finds in poetry’s images, sounds, and forms the means to express personal encounters with the dilemmas of modern life and the age-old issues of love, guilt, family, death, and friendship.

A rich array of styles, perspectives, and experiences, Uncommonplace delivers impressive proof of the creative spirit alive in the state and the power of place to unleash that spirit.