Preface

Massachusetts as a state and as a state of mind plays a prominent role in the works of its poets and writers. This special feature focuses on five poets who have helped shape the literary imagination of Massachusetts and who have been shaped artistically by living there. Not coincidentally, three of the poets featured here appeared in John Wieners’s Measure Number Three — Boston the City and in Donald Allen’s New American Poetry 1945–1960 anthology. The connection of these poets’ work transcends physical place but also is indebted to it. There are many other poets who could have and should have been included in this issue. But for time and focus reasons, we’ve considered these five poets: Olson, Wieners, Lansing, Eigner, and Corman. Coming off the heels of the great Olson 100 festival in Gloucester and a growing interest in Wieners and Lansing, now is an appropriate time to consider these poets in the context of their proper time and place.