Ted Kooser’s third book in the Pitt Poetry Series is a selection of poems published in literary journals over a ten year period by a writer whose work has been praised for its clarity and accessiblity, its mastery of figurative language, and its warmth and charm.
More Praise
Ted Kooser's poems have long given voice to the American midwest. In Weather Central, his first collection in almost a decade, Kooser ranges over familiar territory, but maturity and full command of his craft now allow him to risk a wider scope, both in subject matter and form. . . . Weather Central forecasts the best of Ted Kooser's poetry: a steady voice, arresting and memorable images, and vigorous play in metaphor that can nourish the human soul.
Weather Central, Ted Kooser's latest book, reinforces his title as poet laureate of Nebraska, whether the governor has gotten around to making the appointment or not. . . .His poems have the beauty and wisdom of something closely tied to the soil. . . .perfect combinations of imagery and music, American Poetry, the real thing.
A stunning book. Kooser's very best. Poems of a mature poet whose craft and vision merge in a way seldom seen today.
Ted Kooser was born in Ames, Iowa, in 1939. He was educated in the Ames public schools, at Iowa State University, and the University of Nebraska. His awards include two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, the Stanley Kunitz Prize from Columbia magazine, and the 1981 Society of Midland Authors Award for Poetry for Sure Signs. His poems have appeared in many magazines including the Antioch Review, the Hudson Review, and the Kenyon Review.