Neither World

the long version

Since the publication of his marvelous debut volume, Anxious Latitudes, Ralph Angel has been admired by readers of contemporary poetry for the extraordinary abstract lyricism of his poems. There is a superb grace, a speculative intelligence, and a wry philosophical wisdom to Ralph Angel's poetry. There are few poets so accomplished at creating an elegant yet innovative and provocative voice. His poetic phrasings recall the startling and original jazz voicings of a whole generation of great musicians, from Billie Holiday to Miles Davis, and it is within this profoundly American tradition of the voice of the outsider that his poetry continues to resonate. Now, in Ralph Angel's new collection, Neither World, we find ourselves again in the presence of poetry that will move us ever closer to a new and renewed promise of the American sublime.