"Naked Ladies draws upon Julie Kane's five previous poetry collections, including her long out-of-print first book, Body and Soul, and her National Poetry Series winner, Rhythm & Booze-together with a generous selection of new and previously uncollected poems. From her Boston Irish Catholic girlhood to her longtime residence in Louisiana, the collection traces her frequent themes of fate versus free will, drunken ecstasy versus sober clarity, flawed relationships versus female autonomy. "She's a wonderful formalist, but there's a touch of the anarchist in every line," a Times-Picayune reviewer once wrote of Kane. Those who associate her work with jazzy improvisations on traditional forms such as the villanelle and sonnet may be surprised to see the presence of free verse in her earliest poems, as well as a return to it in some of her most recent work. Kane was Anne Sexton's graduate student at the time of Sexton's death, and the title of the collection, Naked Ladies, alludes in part to her place in the tradition of Confessional poets who form her poetic lineage. But it is also the name of a common Louisiana flower that blooms during hurricane season. Formalist poet, neo-Confessional poet, Irish-American poet, Louisiana poet: Kane is all of these at once,and this milestone collection allows readers to view for the first time the full range and achievement of her life's work"-- Provided by publisher.
Capturing the breadth of Julie Kane’s poetics across nearly four decades—formalist and neo-confessional, steeped in both Boston Irish-American and New Orleans cultures—Naked Ladies displays the full range and achievement of her work. Gathered here in one volume are selections from Kane’s five previous collections, including her long-out-of-print first book and her subsequent winners of the National Poetry Series and Donald Justice Poetry Prize. Readers will also find a generous selection of new and previously uncollected work. The title of this milestone collection acknowledges Kane’s place in the tradition of women confessional poets, evokes the nickname of a common Louisiana flower, and nods to the honesty and frankness that characterize her poems’ speakers.
