New and Selected Poems of Thomas Lux: 1975-1995

One of the New York Public Library's 25 "Books to Remember" in 1997 Lux comments on the absurd, the pathetic, and the commonplace in our culture, writing with compassion as well as satire. He is "singular among his peers in his ability to convey with a deceptive lightness the paradoxes of human emotion," says Publishers Weekly, and Robert Hass, in the Washington Post Book World, takes special note of Lux's "bitter wit, the kind of irony that comes with a quick, impatient intelligence."

What makes his poetry unforgettable?

• Narrative Poetry: Lux’s poems often tell unforgettable stories, finding entire worlds in everyday objects, historical footnotes, and the surreal landscapes of American life.
• Dark Humor and Satire: With a "bitter wit" noted by critics, Lux tackles subjects from commercial leech farming to Dr. Goebbels with an unflinching and often hilarious eye.
• Deep Compassion: Beyond the irony, this collection is grounded in a profound empathy for the human condition, with moving elegies and tender poems written for his daughter.
• Observational Wit: Discover a voice that finds the "paradoxes of human emotion" in the most unexpected places, all conveyed with what Publishers Weekly called a "deceptive lightness."