May Swenson once said that her experience of poetry is "based in a craving to get through the curtains of things as they appear, to things as they are, and then into the larger, wilder space of things as they are becoming." The poet's task became, for her, a lifelong quest for a means of interpreting "the vastness of the unknown beyond [one's] consciousness."

At my work as a webmaster for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, one of my jobs is to archive old issues of our Chronicle. One of the articles was about lesbian poets, and the author mentioned her love for May Swenson's work (among others) and I'd never heard of her before. So I bought this out of curiosity and to educate myself.

From: http://www.glbtq.com/
Swenson, May (1913-1989)
Born in Logan, Utah, on May 28, 1913, May Swenson became one of America's most inventive and incisive poets. English was actually her second language since Swedish was spoken in her childhood home.
Beginning in 1954, she published ten collections of poetry during her lifetime and one book of translations of the poems of Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer. These include works such as Another Animal (1954), To Mix With Time (1963), Iconographs (1970), New And Selected Things Taking Place (1978), and In Other Words (1987). Swenson died in Ocean View, Delaware, on December 4, 1989.
Swenson's work is wide and varied. Many of her poems delight in the natural world. Others incorporate scientific research, particularly that having to do with space exploration. Others root themselves in love and eroticism, especially lesbian sexuality. Many of her love poems were published as a single collection in 1991 as The Love Poems of May Swenson.

From: http://www.justaboutwrite.com/Herstory-Poet-MaySwenson.html
During her lifetime, May Swenson received grants and fellowships from Guggenheim, a Ford Foundation Poet-Playwright Grant, an Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship, and the Robert Frost Fellowship grant. Seen as one of the top female poets of the 20th century, May Swenson held many awards: American Introductions Prize, 1955; William Rose Benet Prize of the Poetry Society of America, 1959; Longview Foundation Award in 1959; The National Institute of Arts and Letters Award in 1960; Brandeis University Creative Arts Award, 1967; Lucy Martin Donnelly Award of Bryn Mawr College in 1968; and the Shelley Poetry Award in 1968. She once said poetry is "based in a craving to get through the curtains of things as they appear, to things as they are, and then into the larger, wilder space of things as they are becoming." Her task in life, as quoted by her, was a lifelong quest to interpret "the vastness of the unknown beyond one's consciousness." She was a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters and served as chancellor of The Academy of American Poets from 1980 until her death in Oceanview, Delaware, in 1989. Poet Rozanne Knudson was her partner for 23 years.

I'm not really a huge poetry fan(I'm not sure most people are nowadays), but I'll admit that once in a while I find poets that really get to me (like Frost, Whitman, Giovanni, Neruda, Byron, and Burns). I think I can probably add Swenson to that list, at least where love poetry is concerned.

I especially loved: Wednesday at the Waldorf, Evolution, Symmetrical Companion, and For F. Yeah... especially For F. The emotions are raw but beautiful... erotic and gentle... strong and natural. Oh, and I liked "Early Morning: Cape Cod" very much, too. I love Cape Cod and that poem sounds especially beautifully out loud. But what I love most about this collection is that it contains poems about all kinds of love, and makes you feel it through the images and word choice.

Adding to the LGBT Bookbox(after I copy down a few poems so I can read them over and over again)
Hope it finds a good reader!

Caught in Wyldewomin's LGBT bookbox.

She reminds me a good deal of Mary Oliver - I'm guessing its her cadence and her use of natural imagery. My favorites are "Secure" ... "Equilibrist" ... "Swimmers" ... "All That Time"

Sent out to caffcaff as part of my Poetry Bookbox.

Taken from the Poetry Book Box :o)

I've spent the evening reading poetry :o)

I'd never heard of Mary Swenson, and i must say, im really impressed! I especially enjoyed "All That Time" which is exactly how i would describe the relationship between me and my husband (who also happens to be the love of my life!). I'm a true romantic, which is probably why i enjoyed this selection :o)

Thanks for sharing, i will make sure it gets passed on to another BCer who will appreciate it :o)

Ive had this one far too long, so its time to move it on so its going to a friend who will take it to her local WI meeting. I hope it finds a new home there :o)

Very pleased to be the latest custodian of this book, which I have acquired as part of my research into the New York art scene of the mid-1950s (recommended in another book - New York in the Fifties by Dan Wakefield). Very much looking forward to reading it!