8 Voices

Baskerville Publishers is pleased to announce the publication of 8 Voices, contemporary poetry of the American Southwest. Eight poets from New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas were selected to be included, all of whom are widely published and highly regarded. Their work clearly demonstrates that poetry of the Southwest is not to be lessened by being described as regional, but instead deals with the universal themes of all good poetry, while not losing a sense of place. During late November the book will be launched at four readings and signings, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Norman, Oklahoma, Dallas and in Fort Worth, Texas. Three Texas poet laureates are among the contributors. Dr. Dan Williams, Director of the TCU Press, selected the poems. He has written an introduction which deals with issues surrounding regional poetry. He concludes the introduction by saying, I have gained much becoming acquainted with the poems included in this volume, and I feel privileged to have read and selected them. I believe anyone who picks up this volume will feel the same. Michael McGaba and Rainer Schulte have praised the book. Tom Sleigh writes of the poetry, ... these poems are wonderfully idiosyncratic voices as cosmopolitan as they are rooted in what Seamus Heaney once called the music of what happens ... The region that unites them is the republic of memorable speech.