The James Dickey Reader - by Henry Hart (Paperback)

About the Book

Published to coincide with his son Christopher Dickey's memoir, "Summer of Deliverance, " this collection of poems and prose distill's James Dickey's tremendous talent and influence, and sheds light on his remarkable career.

Book Synopsis

This collection of James Dickey's poems and prose includes choice selections of the author's poetry, fiction, and essays, as well as some early unpublished poetry and excerpts from his unfinished novel Crux. Organized chronologically by genre, this is the definitive collection of works by one of the twentieth century's most important talents.

From the Back Cover

This collection of James Dickey's poems and prose includes choice selections of the author's poetry, fiction, and essays, as well as some early unpublished poetry and excerpts from his unfinished novel Crux. Organized chronologically by genre, this is the definitive collection of works by one of the twentieth century's most important talents.

Review Quotes

Pat Conroy Who wrote better than James Dickey in this century? I think he was in a league of his own. His poems are simply better than anyone else's poetry. His criticism cuts to the bone. His novels sizzle when they hit the fire. This book captures the untellable genius of James Dickey. Pick it up and on any page you get perfection and the most breathlessly fully alive writing ever done by an American.

Gordon Lish Only death could exhibit the cheek to think it had the reach to get a grip all the way around James Dickey. Life gave up, reckoning it would never have the arms for it. In any event, James Dickey is not dead, and shall not be, as this book notifies us, sampling by sampling. Indeed, the thing that beats in him -- the heart of none other than the unrepeatable man -- must make the gods puny and afraid.

About the Author

James Dickey published fifteen books of poetry, four collections of essays, four coffee-table books, three novels, and one screenplay. His book of poetry Buckdancer's Choice received the National Book Award, the Poetry Society of America's Melville Cane Award, and an award from the National Institute of Arts and Letters. His bestselling first novel, Deliverance, was made into a movie. He was a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters and the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and was Poet-in-Residence and First Carolina Professor of English at the University of South Carolina from 1969 until his death in 1997.