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W, Diane Wakoski to C.D. Wright

Diane Wakoski
Wakoski is a long-time postmodern icon, one of “the nation’s most significant poets” who responded to the Poetry Society of America’s question, “What is American about American poetry?” In her considerable body of work, poems like “Red Bandanna” are Beat-perfect. Catch her dark humor in her selected poems, Emerald Ice (Black Sparrow Press, 1988).
Anne Waldman
Fast-speaking woman, daughter cum mother of the Beats, founder of the “Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics” at Naropa, historian of Jove (Iovis), definer of Marriage, Mother of Actual, Waldman’s an Inspiration. There’s a great poem & action foto at Bohemian Ink & a page full of good stuff at the Museum of American Poetics.
Jim Watson-Gove
He’s a Beat survivor who has published zines since the 60’s: Showcase, Lemmings (70’s), Minotaur (80’s and 90’s) and since his retirement, he edits Baker Street Irregular. His poems appear online in The Astrophysicist's Tango Partner Speaks.
James Welch
Native American poet & novelist James Welch was of Blackfoot/Gros Ventre heritage, a “writer’s writer” in the Montana literary community, mentor to Sherman Alexie & author of Fools Crow & Riding the Earthboy 40. He died too young (at the age of 62) in 2003.
Saul Williams
Williams made his first public impact as co-writer & star of Slam, the “raw poem of a movie” that meshed prison documentary, poetry slam & melodrama in 1998. In 2001, he went up against Sherman Alexie in the World Heavyweight Poetry Bout at the Taos Poetry Circus, then lost his title to Pat Payne in 2002.
Larry Winfield
Laid-back Larry Winfield is half-poet, half-musician, half unknown artist in Hong Kong, and just one more reason why Chicago is the leading city in the bareknuckles brawl that is the Poetry world these days. He also stirs hornets at Poetry Agonistics, but these stings are salved by sweeeeeet honey.
Koon Woon
The poet of solitude, Koon Woon has lived on the other side of madness, has returned with gentleness, humble humor, Whitman condensed talking to a goldfish. Ah. Please read The Truth in Rented Rooms, the Best Book of Poetry 1998.
C.D. Wright
Her poems stop at the fence so you can catch up, then soldier forward, words alone, you come to. She is Collaborator, Poet Laureate of Rhode Island, of Arkansas, publisher of Lost Roads. “Tours” was in The United States of Poetry & “Oneness” is at the DIA Center for the Arts Readings in Contemporary Poetry site.

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