A Poet's Revolution: The Life of Denise LevertovThis first full-length biography of Anglo- American poet and activist Denise Levertov (1923-1997) brings to life one of the major voices of the second half of the twentieth century, when American poetry was a powerful influence worldwide. Drawing on exhaustive archival research and interviews with 75 friends of Levertov, as well as on Levertov’s entire opus, Donna Krolik Hollenberg’s authoritative biography captures the full complexity of Levertov as both woman and artist, and the dynamic world she inhabited. She charts Levertov’s early life in England as the daughter of a Russian Hasidic father and a Welsh mother, her experience as a nurse in London during WWII, her marriage to an American after the war, and her move to New York City where she became a major figure in the American poetry scene. The author chronicles Levertov’s role as a passionate social activist in volatile times and her importance as a teacher of writing. Finally, Hollenberg shows how the spiritual dimension of Levertov’s poetry deepened toward the end of her life, so that her final volumes link lyric perception with political and religious commitment. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 7 | |
PART TWO A COMMON GROUND 19491966 | 113 |
PART THREE LIFE AT WAR 19661974 | 221 |
PART FOUR SLEEPERS AWAKE 19751988 | 293 |
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admired Adrienne Rich American artist ballet Beatrice Levertoff beautiful became began Betty Breathing the Water child childhood church Cid Corman Collected Earlier Poems continued courtesy Creeley dance dark death Denise and Mitch Denise Levertov Denise's despite diary dream early essay experience father feel felt friends Fussiner Gelpi Hasidic human imagination inspired James Laughlin Jewish Jews July June Kenneth Rexroth later letter Levertov and Duncan Levertov to parents Levertov wrote Levertov's poem living Mark Pawlak memory Mitchell Goodman mother Nefertiti Nikolai noted Olga Olga's painting Paul Levertoff Pawlak poet poetic poetry political protest published realized relationship remembered returned Richard Richard Edelman Rilke Robert Creeley Robert Duncan Seattle seemed sense sister social spiritual stayed Stephen Peet Tesserae thought tion University Vietnam wanted William Carlos Williams woman women words Wrey Gardiner writing York young