Twenty Poems That Could Save America presents insightful essays on the craft of poetry and a bold conversation about the role of poetry in contemporary culture. Essays on the vertigo' effects of new poetry give way to appraisals of Robert Bly, Sharon Olds and Dean Young. At the heart of this book is an honesty and curiosity about the ways poetry can influence America at both a private and public level. Tony Hoagland is already one of this country's most provocative poets, and this book confirms his role as a restless and perceptive literary critic.'