Inspired by Rimbaud and Ashbery, the Slovenian poet Tomaz Salamun is now inspiring the younger generation of American poets and Woods and Chalices will secure his place in the ranks of influential, experimental twenty-first-century writers. alamun s strengths are on display here: innocence and obscenity, closely allied; a great historical reach; and questions, commands, and statements of identity that challenge all norms and yet seem uncannily familiar and right I m molasses, don t forget that. Coat of Arms. The wet sun stands on dark bricks. Through the king s mouth we see teeth. He sews lips. The owl moves its head. She s tired, drowsy and black. She doesn t glow in gold like she d have to....

Although the Austrian poet Georg Trakl died over a century ago, the mesmerizing imagery and haunting visions of his highly sensitive and morbidly introspective poetry are as powerful today as they were when he poured forth his extraordinary and unclassifiable volume of work. A source of inspiration for artists, musicians and writers throughout the Expressionist period and beyond, Trakl's poetry - bleak, yet full of tenderness and hope, nightmarish yet eerily beautiful - has steadfastly defied any coherent critical analysis. Will Stone's outstanding new translation, complete with contextualizing essays, promises to rekindle interest in the work of this seminal poet....