The God of Loneliness : Selected and New Poems

From Like Wings, 1978: For the wandering Jews -- The artist & his mother: after Arshile Gorky -- The stranger in old photos -- Letter from Jake: August 1964 -- What I don't want -- The elevator -- For the moose -- San Francisco remembered -- Onionskin: for the new year -- The gift -- Like wings -- For my father -- from Deep within the ravine, 1984: Ode to desire -- The view -- I'm not complaining -- Mrs. Applebaum's Sunday dance class -- My smile -- Pumpernickel -- For my mother -- Balance -- Guide to the perplexed -- Fifth Avenue in early spring -- The music -- Lines to a Jewish Cossack: for Isaac Babel -- My guardian angel Stein -- In exile -- Ode -- Personal history -- The quality -- from The holy worm of praise: The holy worm of praise -- Courtship according to my Guardian angel Stein -- Flying dogs -- On first hearing of your conception -- The monologue -- Sick -- The inside and the outside -- The answering machine -- Ars poetica -- Personally -- Prison doctor -- The dead -- The displaced -- The Children's Memorial at Yad Vashem -- I remember -- Apartment sale -- Nomads -- Stories -- Darwin, sweeping -- The eight-mile bike ride -- The silence -- The Dalai Lama -- To William Dickey -- Stein, good-bye -- Mr. Parsky -- Souls over Harlem -- from Living in the past, 2004: No one in this family -- Grandma climbs -- Grandpa peeps -- Old man Haas -- Mother locks me -- Grandma ties red strings -- Almost every night -- Everyone dickers -- Before uncle burned -- Mr. Schwartzman survived -- The cinemascope -- On Saturdays I follow -- On Wednesday mornings -- Being chosen -- Every night at Kodak -- Mr. Schwartzman writes -- We walk through the lilac -- Spuming a perish melody -- The Dubinsky brothers dance -- My bar mitzvah -- One Saturday morning -- When I start bawling -- Singing Al Jolson -- Three times a week -- My first morning -- He didn't hate -- Mother smiles -- Rest now -- A boy has one -- The glass -- After Mother died -- We need a new car -- Mother's yahrzeit -- It was only possible -- At camp -- Late at night -- In the camp -- All real living -- from Failure, 2007: It's Sunday morning in early November -- Talking to ourselves -- Specimen -- The summer people -- The magic kingdom -- Grief -- The garden -- Why -- My wife -- What I like and don't like -- Blunt -- The adventures of 78 Charles Street -- The truth -- The one truth -- Failure -- New poems: Things I have to do today -- The reasonable houses of Osborne Lane -- Attention -- The opening -- Aging egoists -- The Fourth of July -- Free mercy -- Stein in produce -- The joke -- Yom Kippur -- The sweet undertaste -- The god of loneliness -- Bleecker Street -- The big sleep.;"The God of Loneliness," a major collection of Schultz's work, includes poems from his five books ("Like Wings," "Deep Within the Ravine," "The Holy Worm of Praise," "Living in the Past," "Failure") and fourteen new poems. The God Of Loneliness, A Major Collection Of Schultz's Work, Includes Poems From His Five Books (like Wings, Deep Within The Ravine, The Holy Worm Of Praise, Living In The Past, Failure) And Fourteen New Poems. From Like Wings, 1978: For The Wandering Jews -- The Artist & His Mother: After Arshile Gorky -- The Stranger In Old Photos -- Letter From Jake: August 1964 -- What I Don't Want -- The Elevator -- For The Moose -- San Francisco Remembered -- Onionskin: For The New Year -- The Gift -- Like Wings -- For My Father -- From Deep Within The Ravine, 1984: Ode To Desire -- The View -- I'm Not Complaining -- Mrs. Applebaum's Sunday Dance Class -- My Smile -- Pumpernickel -- For My Mother -- Balance -- Guide To The Perplexed -- Fifth Avenue In Early Spring -- The Music -- Lines To A Jewish Cossack: For Isaac Babel -- My Guardian Angel Stein -- In Exile -- Ode -- Personal History -- The Quality -- From The Holy Worm Of Praise: The Holy Worm Of Praise -- Courtship According To My Guardian Angel Stein -- Flying Dogs -- On First Hearing Of Your Conception -- The Monologue -- Sick -- The Inside And The Outside -- The Answering Machine -- Ars Poetica -- Personally -- Prison Doctor -- The Dead --^ The Displaced -- The Children's Memorial At Yad Vashem -- I Remember -- Apartment Sale -- Nomads -- Stories -- Darwin, Sweeping -- The Eight-mile Bike Ride -- The Silence -- The Dalai Lama -- To William Dickey -- Stein, Good-bye -- Mr. Parsky -- Souls Over Harlem -- From Living In The Past, 2004: No One In This Family -- Grandma Climbs -- Grandpa Peeps -- Old Man Haas -- Mother Locks Me -- Grandma Ties Red Strings -- Almost Every Night -- Everyone Dickers -- Before Uncle Burned -- Mr. Schwartzman Survived -- The Cinemascope -- On Saturdays I Follow -- On Wednesday Mornings -- Being Chosen -- Every Night At Kodak -- Mr. Schwartzman Writes -- We Walk Through The Lilac -- Spuming A Perish Melody -- The Dubinsky Brothers Dance -- My Bar Mitzvah -- One Saturday Morning -- When I Start Bawling -- Singing Al Jolson -- Three Times A Week -- My First Morning -- He Didn't Hate -- Mother Smiles -- Rest Now -- A Boy Has One -- The Glass -- After Mother Died -- We Need A New Car --^ Mother's Yahrzeit -- It Was Only Possible -- At Camp -- Late At Night -- In The Camp -- All Real Living -- From Failure, 2007: It's Sunday Morning In Early November -- Talking To Ourselves -- Specimen -- The Summer People -- The Magic Kingdom -- Grief -- The Garden -- Why -- My Wife -- What I Like And Don't Like -- Blunt -- The Adventures Of 78 Charles Street -- The Truth -- The One Truth -- Failure -- New Poems: Things I Have To Do Today -- The Reasonable Houses Of Osborne Lane -- Attention -- The Opening -- Aging Egoists -- The Fourth Of July -- Free Mercy -- Stein In Produce -- The Joke -- Yom Kippur -- The Sweet Undertaste -- The God Of Loneliness -- Bleecker Street -- The Big Sleep. Philip Schultz. Includes Index. Philip Schultz, winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, has been celebrated for his singular vision of the American immigrant experience and Jewish identity, his alternately fierce and tender portrayal of family life, and his rich and riotous evocation of city streets. His poems have found enthusiastic audiences among readers of Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac, Slate, The New Yorker, and other publications. His willingness to face down the demons of failure and loss, in his previous book particularly, make him a poet for our times, a poet who can write “If I have to believe in something / I believe in despair.” Yet he remains oddly undaunted: “sometimes, late at night / we, my happiness and I, reminisce / lifelong antagonists / enjoying each other's company.”The God of Loneliness, a major collection of Schultz's work, includes poems from his five books (Like Wings, Deep Within the Ravine, The Holy Worm of Praise, Living in the Past, Failure) and fourteen new poems. It is a volume to cherish, from “one of the least affected of American poets, and one of the fiercest” (Tony Hoagland), and it will be an essential addition to the history of American poetry. Philip Schultz, winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, has been celebrated for his singular vision of the American immigrant experience and Jewish identity, his alternately fierce and tender portrayal of family life, and his rich and riotous evocation of city streets. His poems have found enthusiastic audiences among readers of Garrison Keillors Writers Almanac , Slate , The New Yorker , and other publications. His willingness to face down the demons of failure and loss, in his previous book particularly, make him a poet for our times, a poet who can write If I have to believe in something /I believe in despair. Yet he remains oddly sometimes, late at night /we, my happiness and I, reminisce /lifelong antagonists / enjoying each others company. The God of Loneliness , a major collection of Schultzs work, includes poems from his five books ( Like Wings , Deep Within the Ravine , The Holy Worm of Praise , Living in the Past , Failure ) and fourteen new poems. It is a volume to cherish, from one of the least affected of American poets, and one of the fiercest (Tony Hoagland), and it will be an essential addition to the history of American poetry. Philip Schultz, winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, has been celebrated for his singular vision of the American immigrant experience and Jewish identity, his alternately fierce and tender portrayal of family life, and his rich and riotous evocation of city streets. His poems have found enthusiastic audiences among readers of Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac , Slate , The New Yorker , and other publications. His willingness to face down the demons of failure and loss, in his previous book particularly, make him a poet for our times, a poet who can write "If I have to believe in something / I believe in despair." Yet he remains oddly undaunted: "sometimes, late at night / we, my happiness and I, reminisce / lifelong antagonists / enjoying each other's company." The God of Loneliness , a major collection of Schultz's work, includes poems from his five books ( Like Wings , Deep Within the Ravine , The Holy Worm of...