About the Book

Raised by Wolves is a unique and vibrant gathering of poems from Graywolf Press's fifty years. The anthology is conceived as a community document: fifty Graywolf poets have selected fifty poems by Graywolf poets, offering insightful prose reflections on their selections. What arises is a choral arrangement of voices and lineages across decades, languages, styles, and divergences, inspiring a shared vision for the future. Included here are established and emerging poets, international poets and poets in translation, and many of the most significant poets of our time. There are extraordinary pairings: Tracy K. Smith on Linda Gregg; Vijay Seshadri on Tomas Transtrèomer, translated by Robert Bly; Natalie Diaz on Mary Szybist; Diane Seuss on D. A. Powell; Elizabeth Alexander on Christopher Gilbert; Ilya Kaminsky on Vâenus Khoury-Ghata, translated by Marilyn Hacker; Mai Der Vang on Larry Levis; Layli Long Soldier on Solmaz Sharif; Solmaz Sharif on Claudia Rankine. In these poets' championing of others, fascinating threads emerge: Stephanie Burt writes on Monica Youn, who selects Harryette Mullen, who writes on Liu Xiaobo, translated by Jeffrey Yang, who chooses Fanny Howe, who writes on Carl Phillips, who selects Danez Smith, who chooses Donika Kelly, who writes on Natasha Trethewey. With an introduction by Graywolf publisher Carmen Gimâenez, Raised by Wolves is an echoing outward of poetry's possibilities.

Book Synopsis

Raised by Wolves is a unique and vibrant gathering of poems from Graywolf Press's fifty years. The anthology is conceived as a community document: fifty Graywolf poets have selected fifty poems by Graywolf poets, offering insightful prose reflections on their selections. What arises is a choral arrangement of voices and lineages across decades, languages, styles, and divergences, inspiring a shared vision for the future.

Included here are established and emerging poets, international poets and poets in translation, and many of the most significant poets of our time. There are extraordinary pairings: Tracy K. Smith on Linda Gregg; Vijay Seshadri on Tomas Tranströmer, translated by Robert Bly; Natalie Diaz on Mary Szybist; Diane Seuss on D. A. Powell; Elizabeth Alexander on Christopher Gilbert; Ilya Kaminsky on Vénus Khoury-Ghata, translated by Marilyn Hacker; Mai Der Vang on Larry Levis; Layli Long Soldier on Solmaz Sharif; Solmaz Sharif on Claudia Rankine. In these poets' championing of others, fascinating threads emerge: Stephanie Burt writes on Monica Youn, who selects Harryette Mullen, who writes on Liu Xiaobo, translated by Jeffrey Yang, who chooses Fanny Howe, who writes on Carl Phillips, who selects Danez Smith, who chooses Donika Kelly, who writes on Natasha Trethewey.

With an introduction by Graywolf publisher Carmen Giménez, Raised by Wolves is an echoing outward of poetry's possibilities.

Review Quotes

"Raised By Wolves is essential reading, and the insight offered by the structure of the collection will appeal to writers, readers, and educators alike. This is an anthology that does justice to the incredible legacy of Graywolf and its commitment to poetry, a book that celebrates fifty years without waxing nostalgic, a collection that resonates across time"--Ronnie K. Stephens, The Poetry Question

"The last line of verse in [Raised by Wolves]--from Monica Youn's 'Hangman's Tree'--could double as a tagline for this anthology or for Graywolf itself: 'It will keep you alive.'"--Poets & Writers

"Raised by Wolves is a powerful index of the magnitude of contemporary US poetry. The scope of this anthology will provide new readers with a kaleidoscopic view of this ecosystem at the same time that it will allow more experienced readers to explore the dynamics of literary kinship. To put it differently, here we encounter not only the strength of the poet in the pack but the strength of the pack in the poet."--Christos Kalli, Chicago Review of Books

"Outstanding. . . . An enjoyable volume featuring a diverse contingent of artists."--Kirkus Reviews

"This landmark collection embodies the press's dedication to fostering dialogue across cultures, traditions, languages, and generations, and so it is received as a cherished and momentous addition to the literary landscape." --Debbra Palmer, New York Journal of Books

"A finely-constructed showcase that successfully manages to celebrate Graywolf's history while looking forward to the press's ongoing commitment to push poetry forward into new, sometimes difficult, always exciting territory." --Allisa Cherry, West Trade Review

About the Author

Graywolf Press is a leading independent and nonprofit publisher of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation, and genre-defying literature whose aim is to foster new thinking about what it means to live in the world today.