The Uncommon Speech of Paradise: Poems on the Art of Poetry
The Uncommon Speech of Paradise showcases the work of 120 modern and contemporary poets from seventeen countries—Seamus Heaney, Czeslaw Milosz, Pablo Neruda, and Anna Akhmatova—as well as works by such premier American poets as John Ashbery, Rita Dove, Mary Oliver, Joy Harjo, and Wallace Stevens. Together, they offer a wide variety of voices, styles, and perspectives on the theory, practice, and purpose of poetry.
Robert Hedin is the author, translator, and editor of more than two-dozen books of poetry and prose. The recipient of many honors and awards for his work, including three National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships as well as fellowships from the Bush, McKnight, and Yaddo Foundations, he has taught at the University of Alaska, the University of Minnesota, St. Olaf College, and Wake Forest University. He is co-founder (with his wife, Carolyn) and former director of the Anderson Center, a residential artist retreat in Red Wing, Minnesota.
James Lenfestey is a former college professor, administrator, and award-winning editorial writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He is the author of the memoir, Seeking the Cave: A Pilgrimage to Cold Mountain, a book of personal essays, as well as seven collections of poetry. He has also edited two poetry anthologies and co-edited Robert Bly in the World. As a journalist, he covers education, energy policy, and climate science. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
