Literary figures/poets

Poet Li-Young Lee. He was born into a family of political refugees from China. They traveled throughout Asia for years to escape persecution. In the mid-60's his family moved to Pennsylvania. Lee's poems reflect his struggle with his Chinese heritage - a heritage to which he is bound but in which he never lived. His poems also reflect Lee's attempt to come to terms with the powerful and mythic figure of his father, who was alternately imprisoned and revered for his beliefs.

Poet and essayist John Haines. Haines' new book The Stars, The Snow, The Fire, recalls the 25 years he spent homesteading in the Alaskan wilderness. Haines is more than "one of our best nature writers," according to Hayden Carruth of Harpers Magazine. Carruth writes that Haines "knows the ecological crisis ... as a crisis of consciousness, the human mind in ultimate confrontation with itself.

Rich's writing has been deeply political, but her recent poetry explores more personal themes. She joins Fresh Air to discuss her coming out as a lesbian, the difference between her poetry and the poetry written by men, and why she's reluctant to speak publicly about her personal life, despite being an autobiographical writer.

A new anthology of Wilbur's early and recent poetry has recently been published. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his writing, the effect of how reading in front of audiences has had on his work, and his relationship with his children. Wilbur was Poet Laureate from 1987 to 1988.

Despite his often misanthropic themes, Galway says he's been roused from his depression, in part because of his wonder of nature. He's known for exploring emotional extremes in his writing.

Waldman grew up in Greenwich Village and joined a community of poets who moved to her neighborhood. She says her work is influenced by the noises of the street as the, as well as the writings of other poets.

Hass says he is overwhelmed by images; the point of art is to make sense of it. He joins Fresh Air to talk about how memory and invention influence his poetry. A new collection, called Human Wishes, will be published later this year.

Olds' writing is confessional and personal, but she says her work is not necessarily autobiographical. She wonders why readers have the desire to separate truth from invention in her work -- and the work of other women poets in particular.

Pinsky says he's suspicious of literary criticism, even though he often writes it himself. His new book, Poetry and the World, looks back on his past, including growing up in New Jersey.

Ray has written twelve books of poetry. His lastest, Sam's Book, centers on memories of his son Sam, who was killed in a drinking accident.