The Resistance to Poetry
"An intelligent, elegant and valuable defense of poetry." - John Palattella, Nation "James Longenbach's exhilarating and subtle book makes the eloquent case for the necessary unpopularity of poetry." - Adam Philips, Guardian (UK) "Longenbach's spare method is that of a poet, his careful exposition like that of a poem.... A beautiful little book." - Library Journal "Throughout nine small and expertly constellated essays, Longenbach demonstrates that poems are a form of thinking: a resistance to the clear-cut, uncomplicated thought that tries to pin them down as statements.... A compact and exponentially provocative book." - Brian Phillips, Poetry"