Gulf Music: Poems

"Dollars,dolors.Callingsandcontrivances.KingZulu.Comus.Sephardicju-juandverses.Voodoomojo,SpecialForces.HenryformedagroupnamedProfessorLonghairandhisShufflingHungarians.AftersomuchrenunciationAndinvention,isthistheimageofthepromisedend?Allmusichauntedbyallthemusicofthedeadforever.BeckyhauntedforeverbyPearlthedaughtersheabandonedForlove,Otrymytra-la-la,malabelle,mahwalla-woe."--from"GulfMusic"Animprovised,evendesperatemusic,yearningtowardknowledgeacrossagulf,informsRobertPinsky'sfirstbookofpoetrysince"JerseyRain"(2000).Onthelargescaleofwarorthepersonalscaleoffamilyhistory,inthemovementsofpeopleandculturesacrossoceansorbetweeneras,thesepoemsdiscoverconnectionsbetweenthingsseeminglydisparate."GulfMusic"isperhapsthemostambitious,politicallyimpassioned,andinventivebookbythismajorAmericanpoet.