ABOUT THIS BOOK

Diaspora constitutes a powerful descriptor for the modern condition of the contemporary poet, the spokesperson for the psyche of America. The poems in American Diaspora: Poetry of Displacement focus on the struggles and pleasures of creating a home-physical and mental-out of displacement, exile, migration, and alienation.

To fully explore the concept of diaspora, the editors have broadened the scope of their definition to include not only the physical act of moving and immigration but also the spiritual and emotional dislocations that can occur-as for Emily Dickinson and other poets-even in a life spent entirely in one location.

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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Virgil Suárez is a professor of creative writing at Florida State University and the author of over twenty books of prose and poetry, most recently Infinite Refuge, Palm Crows, Banyan, and Guide to the Blue Tongue.

The editor of Contemporary American Poetry: Behind the Scenes, Ryan Van Cleave teaches creative writing and literature at Clemson University. He is the author of, most recently, the poetry collection Ha Ha Tonka.

REVIEWS

“Here is a vital collection of poems about the quintessential American experience: dislocation. How do we connect to the places we inhabit, in both the short and long term? The answers contained in this anthology will surprise, provoke, and perhaps console you. 'America is a nation in self-exile,' the editors write. These poems probe the loss and yearning at the heart of our national experiment.” — Christopher Merrill, author of Only the Nails Remain: Scenes from the Balkan Wars

“American Diaspora … succeeds in saying it all: the many poems capture the essence of our yearnings for location and community and our real, though temporary, sense of being at home here in America.”—Foreword Magazine

“This book needed to happen, both for its subject matter and for its delivery (and -ance) … I'm most pleasantly surprised by the array of talents, many of whom are young and relatively unknown.”—PopMatters

TABLE OF CONTENTS






1. DISLOCATIONS
Dialect MarkJarman, 3
China Camp, California Kim Addonizio, 5
Passports Patricia Goedicke, 7
Generations Kim Addonizio, 1o
The Years Reginald Gibbons, 12
In the Chips Reginald Gibbons, 13
Gallery Albert Goldbarth, 15
The Letter KaseyJueds, r7
Exile Sandra Castillo, i8
Diasporadic Patty Seybum, 21
On Forgettings Patty Seybum, 23
Flood Plain: The Right-of-Way Jim Shugrue, 25
And Wake Up Where? David Lazar, 27
Political or Not, Here Comes that Poem Wendy Bishop, 29
Changing the Name to Ochester Ed Ochester, 31
lose Canseco Breaks Our Hearts Again Gustavo Perez Firmat, 35
Poem for Pancho Gonzales Leroy V. Quintana, 36
Running to America luis Rodriguez, 37
City ofAngels Luis Rodriguez,38
I The Emigrant Katherine Sdnchez, 39
Willie and the Train Carissa Neff, 40
Distance Carolina Hospital, 41
Mi Vida: Wings of Fright Martin Espada, 42
I Thieves of Light Martin Espada, 43
R Come to Find Out Jacqueline Dee Parker, 46
I  Poem for a Vietnamese Student Leroy V. Quintana, 48
Variations for Hendrix and Vietnam Monifa Love, 49




Thoreau Timothy Liu, i89
The Minks Toi Derrcotte, Igo
Postcards from Florida Larry WayneJohns, I92
Vanity of the Atlantic Ocean John Bradley, 194
For the Old Rider at the Mall in Sioux Falls Donald Morrill, i96
Mexican Ray Gonzalez, I98
To the Bougainvillaea C. Dale Young, 20z
The Patriot Christopher Davis, 202
In Heavy Fog Outside Bishopville, South Carolina David Starkey, 203
Underwater Heather Sellers, 204
Cross-Cultural Genres Wendy Bishop, 205
Seizure Michele Wolf, 206
Shoyn Fergssin: "I've Forgotten" in Yiddish Albert Goldbarth, 207
Prodigal Peter Cooley, 208
Barbie, Madame Alexander, Bronislawa Wajs Vivian Shipley, 2Io
American Suite for a Lost Daughter Jack Ridl, 213
Scoured David Starkey, 2I6
The Estrangement of Luis Morone Stuart Dybek, 217
For the Sake of Tiger Lilies C. Dale Young, 219
Lamentation Canzone Sean Thomas Dougherty, 220
On Being Told I Don't Speak Like a Black Person Allison Joseph, 224
El Balserito Campbell McGrath, 227
Ninety-one in the Shade Robert Dana, 228
35-mm Clips Richard Blanco, 233
The End of Soup Kitchens MarkTaksa, 235
Poem at an Unmarked Grave Judith Vollmer, 237
Portrait of a Couple at Century's End Sherod Santos, 238
Towns Angela Ball, 240
Four Clouds Like the Irish in Memory Campbell McGrath, 242
A Northern Darkness Dixie Partridge, 243
III. INVOCATIONS
Absence Peter Meinke, 247
For Someone Considering Death Lola Haskins, 249




Dwarf with Violin, Government Center Station Stanley Plumly, 250
Postcards to Columbus Sherman Alexie, 25
Postmodernism David Baker, 252
Survivor's Song Robert Phillips, 253
Credo Lilace Mellin Guionard, 254
Questions for Ecclesiastes MarkJarman, 255
No Living in Parked Vehicles Steve Fay, 258
Soul William Kloefkorn, 259
Seven & Seven Peter Meinke, 26i
Breaking and Entering William Baer, 262
Joint Venture Marilyn Krysl, 263
Manifesto MarSot Schilpp, 265
How the Streets in Front of Kaufmann's Department Store
Tell Me I Am Home Rick Campbell, 267
A Change of Place Mary Crow, 269
Nod Christopher Davis, 270
Dark Songs: Slave House and Synagogue Laurence Lieberman, 272
July 4th Gaylord Brewer, 28i
Internal Exile Rachel Loden, 285
Bodwin's Madmen John Lundberg, 286
Autobiography Stuart Dybek, 287
Confession Steve Orlen, 291
Ang Tunay Na Lalaki Stalks the Streets of New York Nick Carb6, 293
Mask Marcos MtPeek Villatoro, 295
The Reappeared Vijay Seshadri, 297
In California Kathy Fagan, 298
East River Prison Barge Hunt Hawkins, 300
The Sirens of Los Angeles Bruce Bond, 301
Beach Rogue Joanne Lowery, 303
Plus Shipping Bob Hicok, 304
David's Rumor Liam Rector, 306
Big Thicket Requiem H. Palmer Hall, 310
Rural Particles Barry Siiesky, 315
Symmetry Barry Ballard, 316




Teshuvah LamarThomas, 317
Max Beckmann & Quappi in Blue J.J. Blikstein, 318
Green Ash, Red Maple, Black Gum Michael Waters, 321
Comcomly's Skull Jim Barnes, 322
Looking for Level Green Judith Vollmer, 324
Two Uncertainties Paul Hoover, 325
What Hurts Gustavo PMrez Firmat, 326
Moment Jane Hirshfield, 327
Walking Back William Trowbridge, 328
A Flock of Phantom Limbs Gather at the Border Bruce Bond, 329
Elegy Written on a Blue Cement Gravestone (To You, the Archeologist)
Benjamin Alire Sa6nz, 331
Poem from Across the Country Margot Schilpp, 333
Miami Monifa Love, 335
How It Begins - How It Ends Richard Blanco, 336
Contributors' Notes, 337
Permissions, 357
Index, 365

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