"An exploration of the life and work of 19th-century American writer Walt Whitman, whose poetry is known for both its passionate celebration of American life and its direct, speechlike style"--

"Elizabeth Alexander--poet, mother, and wife--finds herself at an existential crossroads after the sudden death of her husband, who was just 49. Reflecting with gratitude on the exquisite beauty of her married life that was, grappling with the subsequent void, and feeling a re-energized devotion to her two teenage sons, Alexander channels her poetic sensibilities into a rich, lucid prose that describes a very personal and yet universal quest for meaning,...

"Poet Laureate Joy Harjo offers a vivid, lyrical, and inspiring call for love and justice in this contemplation of her trailblazing life. In the second memoir from the first Native American to serve as US poet laureate, Joy Harjo invites us to travel along the heartaches, losses, and humble realizations of her "poet-warrior" road. A musical, kaleidoscopic meditation, Poet Warrior reveals how Harjo came to write poetry of compassion and healing, poetry...

Katharine Lee Bates's "America the beautiful" resonates for many people as the most patriotic and beloved American anthem. Her words remind us of why we love our country-- the beauty of our land, the historic sacrifices of our people, and our ideals of hope and brotherhood. That has never been more important than today. Drawing on extensive research in Bates family diaries, letters, and memoirs, biographer Melinda M. Ponder brings Katharine to vivid...