The Last Milkweed: An Autumnal Anthology of Poetry

$21.95

Edited by Alan Berolzheimer, Jeffrey Levine, & Allison O’Keefe

Autumn is the inspiration behind this anthology, but not necessarily the destination. The destination is the discovery of the human condition, the discovery of the ways in which we respond to the natural world.

In this extraordinary anthology, forty-seven contemporary poets and one photographer respond to the myriad ways in which what we think and feel about the “autumnal” resonates through our lives and senses: spiritually, physically, and philosophically. Contributing poets were asked “to let their language rub up against any part or parts of the autumnal world that calls to them, whether from the outside in or the inside out.” In other words, these autumn poems and photographs need not so much as mention fallen leaves, milkweed, or even “autumn.” Autumn is the inspiration, but not necessarily the destination. The destination is as ever, the discovery of the human condition, the discovery of the ways in which we respond to the natural world.

Edited by Alan Berolzheimer, Jeffrey Levine, & Allison O’Keefe

Autumn is the inspiration behind this anthology, but not necessarily the destination. The destination is the discovery of the human condition, the discovery of the ways in which we respond to the natural world.

In this extraordinary anthology, forty-seven contemporary poets and one photographer respond to the myriad ways in which what we think and feel about the “autumnal” resonates through our lives and senses: spiritually, physically, and philosophically. Contributing poets were asked “to let their language rub up against any part or parts of the autumnal world that calls to them, whether from the outside in or the inside out.” In other words, these autumn poems and photographs need not so much as mention fallen leaves, milkweed, or even “autumn.” Autumn is the inspiration, but not necessarily the destination. The destination is as ever, the discovery of the human condition, the discovery of the ways in which we respond to the natural world.

The poems included in this anthology have all been written fresh in response to the autumnal prompt, with new work from luminaries such as Elise Paschen, Martha Ronk, G.C. Waldrep, Michael Chitwood, Gillian Cummings, Gibson Fay-LeBlanc, Rick Hilles, Eva Hooker, Luisa A. Igloria, and William Orem.

The photographs are by Jeffrey Levine, who, in addition to being executive director of Tupelo Press, is widely recognized for his work behind the camera. These images boast exceptional composition and color, but beyond technique, each photo offers up a penetrating resonance on the theme of autumn and the autumnal.

About the Editors

Jeffrey Levine is the author of three books of poetry: At the Kinnegad Home for the Bewildered, Rumor of Cortez, and Mortal, Everlasting. His many poetry prizes include the Larry Levis Prize from the Missouri Review, the James Hearst Poetry Prize from North American Review, the Mississippi Review Poetry Prize, the Ekphrasis Poetry Prize, and the American Literary Review poetry prize. His poems have garnered twenty-one Pushcart nominations. A graduate of the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers, Levine is founder, artistic director, and publisher of Tupelo Press, an award-winning independent literary press located in the historic NORAD Mill in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts.

Alan Berolzheimer is a consulting editor at Tupelo Press.

Allison O’Keefe is operations administrator at Tupelo Press. She is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and she lives in North Adams.

Advanced Praise

“The reader of this marvelous anthology, dedicated to that time that Keats calls the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,’ will find more than beautiful descriptions and surprising metaphors, though these abound. The Last Milkweed offers an introduction to some of the best contemporary poets, as well as a composite rendering of the threshold between being and mortality. Like no other, this book portrays and embodies the union of clarity and mystery.” —Peter Campion

“In his very last essay, ‘Autumnal Tints,’ Thoreau, with posthumous authority, instructs us that, in teaching us how to die, the autumn teaches us how to live. And thus a fallen leaf may become the soul of philosophy. The poets gathered in The Last Milkweed, speaking each from a distinct philosophy but with universal piety, take the instruction of autumn deep into the senses and deep also into our common language. This is an anthology beyond all calendars.” —Donald Revell

“This stunning collection orchestrates a seasonal sensibility; it’s an anthology of atmosphere—familiar scents and that snap in the air—while each poem, taken alone, is full of sharp imagery, tight sound-play, and slight twists of language that keep calling the reader’s attention to the present moment. Jeffrey Levine’s photographs offer the perfect complement to this exquisitely curated selection.” —Cole Swensen

Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-932195-71-2