A Poet's Revolution: The Life of Denise Levertov (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780520272460)

This 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.

Author: Donna Hollenberg
ISBN-10: 0520272463
ISBN-13: 9780520272460
Publisher: University of California Press
Language: English
Published: 04/17/2013
Pages: 532
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.85lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.10w x 1.70d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 04/01/2013 pg. 81
Publishers Weekly 05/06/2013
Shelf Awareness 05/03/2013
Choice 12/01/2013