The Selected Letters of Anthony Hecht by Anthony Hecht (PDF)

Description

Spanning seven decades, these often intimate, brilliantly astute letters by the eminent poet Anthony Hecht reflect a body of work that influenced the history of twentieth-century American poetry.Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anthony Hecht (1923–2004) was known not only for his masterful control of form and language but also for his wit and humor. With the help of Helen Hecht, the poet’s widow, Jonathan F. S. Post combed through more than 4,000 letters to produce an intimate look into the poet’s mind and art across a lifetime. The letters range from Hecht’s early days at summer camp to college at Bard, to the front lines of World War II, to travels abroad in France and Italy, to marriage, and to fame as a poet and critic. Along the way, Hecht corresponded with well-known poets such as John Hollander, James Merrill, Anne Sexton, and Richard Wilbur. Those interested in the lives of contemporary poets will read these highly personal letters with delight and surprise.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review Aside from the literary light it sheds, Hecht’s correspondence is just plain fun to read―witty and learned, warm and humane . . . Hecht’s work depicts both light and shadow, fashioning from their chiaroscuro poems that figure among the finest of the last century.―David Yezzi, Wall Street JournalWe can only be grateful that Anthony Hecht was a pack-rat, so that nothing was lost―all those anecdotes, all those loves lost and found, all the ups and downs that made for a life in poetry and for a poetry now collected and preserved, so that his voice remains crystal-clear in death as it was in life.―Gerard Malanga, Rain Taxi Review of BooksOn the spectrum of letter-writing readability, Anthony Hecht combines elements of Keats and Moore. He is never less than charmingly fluent . . . Hecht as a letter writer is often at his best with confident, off-the-cuff assessments of writers, their lives and works.―Patrick Kurp, Quarterly ConversationAside from the literary light it sheds on his work and the work of others, Hecht’s correspondence is engaging and fun to read. . . . This extensive collection of letters offers satisfying insights into the life and times of one of the major literary figures of the last century―Mike Puican, TriQuarterlyA resounding success.―David Mason, The New CriterionAnyone with a serious interest in US poetry from the mid-20th centruy on will be grateful to Post for his scrupulous selection and editing of Hecht’s letters. . . Whether whimsical or erudite, the letters reveal Hecht’s lively imagination and intelligence and the literary scene of the era.―ChoiceA model edition. The letters themselves are vastly interesting for what Hecht says about himself and his poems.―Edward Mendelsohn, New York Review of BooksA handsome, tactfully edited and satisfying volume.―Matthew Sperling, Literary ReviewIn Hecht’s letters we find ourselves in the presence of a man who takes poetry seriously, demands respect for it, and honors it with his powerful and scrupulous mind.―X. J. Kennedy, The Hopkins ReviewHecht’s Letters provide a lavish feast – intellectual, poetic, and aesthetic – and reveal his rich imagination, profound ideas, and moral vision.―Jeffrey Meyers, Essays in CriticismThese letters record a lively and graceful intelligence fully and sympathetically engaged with the arts of music, painting, and poetry, and with the lives of his many correspondents.―Geoffrey Lindsay, American Book ReviewAn entirely captivating selection of letters by one of the great poets of our time. Jonathan Post’s flawless choices and his elegant introductions to distinct chapters of Anthony Hecht’s life help to reveal this poet, literary critic, and man in all of his modes and moods―hilarious, despondent, self-doubting, proud, exacting, hugely generous, and unfailingly brilliant.―Mary Jo Salter, Johns Hopkins UniversityAnthony Hecht was a magisterial formal poet, an heir of W. H. Auden and John Crowe Ransom, a peer of James Merrill and Richard Wilbur, and these letters, artfully edited by Jonathan Post, illuminate both his life and his work. They are witty and learned, jaunty and revealing, filled with the news of poetry, and they remind us how fortunate we were to have had him among us.―Edward Hirsch, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial FoundationWe knew that Anthony Hecht was a great poet. What his letters reveal is that he was a great man―sensitive to all the turns of language, caring for those he dealt with (even strangers), and continually funny.―Garry Wills, author of Lincoln at Gettysburg Review We knew that Anthony Hecht was a great poet. What his letters reveal is that he was a great man―sensitive to all the turns of language, caring for those he dealt with (even strangers), and continually funny. — Garry Wills Book Description Spanning seven decades, these often intimate, brilliantly astute letters by the eminent poet Anthony Hecht reflect a body of work that influenced the history of twentieth-century American poetry. About the Author Anthony Hecht (1923-2004) was the author of seven poetry collections and several works of criticism. He was awarded the Pullizter Prize in 1968 for The Hard Hours and his other honors include the Bollingen Prize, the Eugenio Montale Award, the Ruth Lilly Prize, the Dorothea Tanning Award, and the Robert Frost Medal. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐tHE BOOK WAS IN NEW CONDITION, ARRIVED IN TIME, GREAT PRICE.

⭐Scholarly and comprehensive. An interesting background for those who care to know more about an artist.I can’t imagine how this could have been improved upon.However, to know Anthony Hecht it’s essential to read his poems.

⭐

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