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Poems
of New York, Edited by Barnard Professor Elizabeth Schmidt,
Celebrates the "Epicenter of American Mythologizing"
 New
York, NY— Professor Elizabeth Schmidt’s highly-acclaimed
anthology of poetry about New York City, Poems of New York
(2002), will be celebrated at the annual Fin de Semestre
Fête of new published work by Barnard faculty, sponsored
by the Department of English. Schmidt’s book received
critical acclaim from The New Yorker, The New York Times,
New York Observer and the New Republic.
A review in The New Yorker noted: "This well-selected
volume of New York poems, conceived in the days following
September 11, 2001, includes not only the tried-and-true anthology
pieces but an assortment of excellent lesser-known poems."
The New Republic wrote in its review: "New York
is the epicenter of American mythologizing, partly because
at any given moment it holds the country’s highest concentration
of poets. Poems of New York, edited by Elizabeth Schmidt,
is remarkable for the sheer number of the greatest American
writers that it includes: Walt Whitman, William Carlos Williams,
Marianne Moore, Dorothy Parker, Hart Crane, Elizabeth Bishop.
Some of these poets are commonly associated with New York,
but some are not – Wallace Stevens Arrival at the
Waldorf is an unexpected surprise."
The New York Times quoted Schmidt and referred to her
book in its article about the Poetry Society of America’s
event, The Words of My City, during which many of the
poems read came from Schmidt’s book.
Schmidt first thought of compiling a comprehensive book of
poetry on what she felt were the most poetic cities in the
world – New York City, Paris, San Francisco, London,
and Chicago in 2000. But after September 11, 2001, the book
became an emotionally charged, pocket-sized collection of
poems about New York City.
Poems of New York, edited by Schmidt and published
by Knopf, is one of the latest works by Barnard faculty, which
will be celebrated at the annual Fin de Semestre Fête,
Tuesday, May 6, at 4:00 p.m. in the Sulzberger Parlor of Barnard
Hall.
Schmidt first started thinking about compiling a poetry anthology
in 2000 while teaching a class, Poetry in the City,
at The New School. "I had given my students a term project
to put together their own anthologies with their favorite
poems, and from this I actually got many ideas for an anthology
on New York poems," Schmidt said.
She had also toyed with the idea of compiling an anthology
of poetry with the cities that have the most poetic focus,
but this all changed as she was discussing her project with
her editor after the terror attacks. The focus then narrowed
to New York City - and what followed was an intense period
of two months during which Schmidt sifted through hundreds
of poems to produce a small pocket-sized volume of the best
New York poetry.
Poems of New York, part of the Everyman’s Library
Pocket Poets series, explores the character of the city. A
pocket-sized power pack, Poems of New York is meant
to be carried around in your purse or pocket, while you ride
the city subways and buses, or take a trip out of town. The
poems encompass a variety of voices from Walt Whitman and
Audre Lorde to contemporary authors like Melanie Rehak. The
collection examines New York city’s myths, truths and
paradoxes: its cultural variety and its icons such as taxis,
subways, and Central Park, along with the more sobering realities
of city violence, problems of urbanization, and September
11th.
Poems of New York includes such poets as Langston Hughes,
James Merill and Allen Ginsberg, who have shaped the character
of areas from Harlem to the Upper and Lower East Side. The
collection also includes several poems written after Sept.
11, which mark the addition of yet another complexity to the
continually changing city.
"Compiling this book helped me with my own process of
adjusting to life post 9/11," said Schmidt. "As
most people did, I felt committed to the City and wanted to
produce something that is enduring and celebrates the poetry
and arts of New York."
Contact: Petra Tuomi, Office of Public Affairs, 212-854-7907
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