February 5, 2006

Poems about Detroit, a brief list

Philip Levine, "Detroit Grease Shop Poem," "An Abandonned Factory, Detroit," "Belle Isle 1949," and "M. Degas Teaches Art and Science ar Durfee Intermediate School --Detroit, 1942" (and a lot more)
Carolyn Forche, "The Morning Baking"
Douglas Tanoury, "East Grande Boulevard"
Lawrence Joseph, "Sand Nigger"
Matthew Lee, Detroit Poetry
Jim Gustafson, "Detroit"

Shout outs:
Ethridge Knight, "A Poem for Myself"
Carl Sandburg, "Work Gangs"
Joseph May Wristen, "Books Written on the Road"
Jose Luis Peixoto, "A Joke"

See also: Stephen Dobyns (he was a reporter in Detroit for a while); Catherine Anderson (born in); Marge Piercy (born in); Reynaldo Ruiz's article on Chicano and Puerto Rican poets from Detroit in the 1980s; Detroit Slam Team 2002 National Slam Champs; Robert Hayden, Poems (born in); Dudley Randall (grew up in); Mick Vranich (lives in); John Sinclair (lived in); Donna Brooks (grew up in); Faye Kicknosway (born in); Chris Tysh (works in); George Tysh (works in); Melba Joyce Boyd and M.L. Liebler eds., Abandon Automobile: Detroit City Poetry 2001.

Far from complete or representative. More later.