Poets for Young Adults - by Mary Loving Blanchard & Cara Falcetti (Hardcover)

About the Book

Spanning the time of colonial America through the present day, Poets for Young Adults examines the lives and works of seventy-five poets that are read and loved by teens. Readers will discover an eclectic mix of poets and their styles, from the modern songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Tupac Shakur, to the nineteen sixties icons Jack Kerouac and Sylvia Plath, to such traditional poets as Edgar Allan Poe and William Blake. Poets from all multicultural backgrounds are included, many of whom wrote about the immigration and/or protest experiences, from Colonial through contemporary times. Over half of the poets are women, and more than one third are women of color.

Poets include: -Maya Angelou -Gloria Evangelina Anzaldua -Anne Bradstreet -Lewis Carroll -E.E. Cummings -Emily Dickinson -Bob Dylan -Ralph Waldo Emerson -Paul Fleischman -Robert Frost -Nikki Giovanni -Langston Hughes -Paul Janesczko -Myra Cohn Livingston -Ogden Nash -Naomi Shihab Nye -Joyce Carol Oates -Lydia Omolola Okutoro -Gary Soto -Phillis Wheatley -Ray Anthony Young Bear

Book Synopsis

Spanning the time of colonial America through the present day, Poets for Young Adults examines the lives and works of seventy-five poets that are read and loved by teens. Readers will discover an eclectic mix of poets and their styles, from the modern songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Tupac Shakur, to the nineteen sixties icons Jack Kerouac and Sylvia Plath, to such traditional poets as Edgar Allan Poe and William Blake. Poets from all multicultural backgrounds are included, many of whom wrote about the immigration and/or protest experiences, from Colonial through contemporary times. Over half of the poets are women, and more than one third are women of color.

Poets include: -Maya Angelou -Gloria Evangelina Anzaldua -Anne Bradstreet -Lewis Carroll -E.E. Cummings -Emily Dickinson -Bob Dylan -Ralph Waldo Emerson -Paul Fleischman -Robert Frost -Nikki Giovanni -Langston Hughes -Paul Janesczko -Myra Cohn Livingston -Ogden Nash -Naomi Shihab Nye -Joyce Carol Oates -Lydia Omolola Okutoro -Gary Soto -Phillis Wheatley -Ray Anthony Young Bear

Review Quotes

"[T]his guide essentially amounts to a recommended poetry curriculum for high school students....The aim is to introduce students to a wide range of literary voices. Emphasis is placed on diversity as well as representatives of particular times, movements, innovations, and literary generations....Most entries provide a suggested Web site, lists of poetry, fiction and other writings, plus a selection of critical surveys of their work. In short, students are provided with an excellent introduction to modern poetry and given a good foundation with which to expand their horizons." --Lawrence Looks at Books

"In this reference for junior and high school readers, the authors seek to profile poets from populations that are underrepresented in the mainstream canon, particularly women and writers of color. Seventy-five alphabetical entries each provide a short biography of a poet, as well as discussion of their style and influences. This is followed by a suggested reading list as well as references to websites and books for further biographical information. The entries profile both contemporary and classic poets of diverse styles, including some acknowledged masters such as Dickinson, Poe, and Langston Hughes. Other names that appear include Tupac Shakur, Sonia Sanchez, Maya Angelou, Ray Anthony Young Bear, Dorothy Parker, Gwendolyn Brooks, John Lennon, and Ntozake Shange." --Reference & Research Book News

About the Author

Mary Blanchard is an assistant professor of English at New Jersey City University. In summer 2004, her poem, Here was inscribed on a memorial built to commemorate former enslaved African Americans of Dallas County, Texas. In 1995, her poem, Quilting, was commissioned by the Children's Choir of Greater Dallas to commemorate its twenty-fifth year. Blanchard has published scholarly articles, fiction, and poetry.

Cara Falcetti received her B.A. from Fordham University and is pursuing graduate work at Queen's College in New York City. She has held several positions in middle school education and library science.