What Comes Down To Us features twenty-five of Kentucky's most accomplished contemporary poets. Worley's introduction places contemporary Kentucky poetry in the context of the state's rich literary tradition, and the poet biographies include their reflections and, often, their poetic approach and technique.
What Comes Down To Us25 Contemporary Kentucky PoetsEdited by Jeff Worley$29.95
"Although the twenty-five poets whose work graces this splendid collection have obviously experienced Kentucky in twenty-five utterly various ways, I'd venture to say that at some 'I am possible' moment of personal epiphany, every one of them has, like Wendell [Berry]... declared to himself or herself, 'Whatever else I may have been or might yet become, I am a Kentucky poet.'" -- Ed McClanahan, from the foreword
From the tobacco fields of Henry County to the coal mines of Appalachia, Kentucky has produced and nurtured many exceptional writers, from James Still, Robert Penn Warren, and Jane Mayhall to three Yale Younger Poets prizewinners in recent years. What Comes Down to Us unites twenty-five of Kentucky's most accomplished contemporary poets in an impressive collection that includes emerging writers as well as such familiar names as Wendell Berry, Frank X Walker, James Baker Hall, Jane Gentry, and George Ella Lyon. Whether they are transplants from other parts of the country or homegrown in the Bluegrass State, all identify themselves as Kentucky poets. Collectively, their work represents the diversity and vitality of modern verse in the commonwealth.
Although geographical boundaries are not their sole focus, these poems convey a strong sense of place. The poets' reflections on their personal approaches and literary techniques are included with their works, illuminating aspects of the often mystifying poetic process. In his introduction, editor Jeff Worley places these contemporary writers in the context of the state's storied literary legacy. As a whole, the eclectic company and exquisite verse of What Comes Down to Us affirms Kentucky's continued presence on the landscape of contemporary American poetry.
Jeff Worley is the author of three poetry collections including The Only Time There Is, which won the Mid-List Press first book competition in 1995, A Simple Human Motion, and Happy Hour at the Two Keys Tavern, which was named 2006 Kentucky Book of the Year in poetry. His poems have been published widely and he won the Atlanta Review 2002 grand prize for the poem "His Funeral."
