Letter to an Imaginary Friend
Letter to an Imaginary Friend by Thomas McGrath is a comprehensive collection of the poet’s narrative epic poem, published by Copper Canyon Press in 1997. This first edition spans 413 pages and presents the complete work for the first time, correcting errors from previous individual parts published between 1963 and 1985. The poem is both modern and Homeric, delving into themes of American history, politics, and mythology, with a guiding influence from Hopi mythology.
Readers will find that Letter to an Imaginary Friend offers an expansive exploration of its subjects, weaving together a semi-autobiographical narrative that traverses the American landscape. The poem culminates in a poignant conclusion on Christmas Eve, reflecting on the journey through various aspects of American life. This authoritative text, prepared by Dale Jacobson from McGrath’s archival notes, makes a significant contribution to the field of poetry, showcasing the depth and breadth of McGrath’s vision.
Official synopsis Publisher
For thirty years, the late Thomas McGrath labored over his narrative epic poem, Letter to an Imaginary Friend, first publishing Part One in 1963, and finishing with Part Four in 1985. All previous editions of the individual parts contained errors which the poet intended to correct in a definitive edition. Now, working from McGrath’s archival notes, his longtime friend and colleague Dale Jacobson has prepared an authoritative text of the whole poem, making available for the first time in a single volume the greatest epic of our time. Both modern and Homeric, McGrath’s expansive, inclusive, semi-autobiographical Letter explores American history, politics, and mythology, guided by the Blue Star Kachina of Hopi mythology as it moves toward the poem’s conclusion in the American heartland on Christmas Eve, crisscrossing the landscape in what Library Journal has called “a tremendous odyssey of sense and spirit.”
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