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Title: Ugh!
Review: Besides the very fine introduction by David Lehman, this has to be the most abstruse collection of poetry I have ever read. I am a college teacher and have traditionally used the Best American series in my classes. Year after year, it has been my favorite poetry anthology. I had my students purchase this edition before I had a chance to look through it this year and I am worried that a collection like this will just fortify all their worse preconceptions about poetry: elitist, inside, arch, academic, and bloodless. It seems to be an elaborate joke played by Creeley on the whole idea of a "Best American Poetry". Could his taste possibly be so narrow? Perhaps this issue should be called "The Best American Language Poetry" or "The Best American Poetry out of The University of Buffalo."
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