Translations of substantial works by three important European poets–Erik Lindegren (Sweden), Cesare Pavese (Italy) and Roberto Sanesi (Italy)–are among the highlights of this 1969 New Directions Annual. Also, there appear works by other well known poets such as William Bronk, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Anselm Hollo (England), W. S. Merwin, Edouard Roditi, and Mark Strand.

Emmett Jarrett, whose long poem, Design for the City of Man: A Vision, is an exciting discovery.

The prose section includes Thomas Merton’s satire on Negro segregation, Plessy vs. Ferguson: Theme and Variations, and a group of stories by Sanford Chernoff, Marvin Cohen, James B. Hall, James Purdy, Mia Raffel and Margaret Randall, which illustrate the rich diversity, both in technique and subject matter, of the short story form from the late sixties. There is also, in translation from the Flemish, the work of an important but too-little-known precursor of the modern movement, Paul van Ostaijen’s Ika Loch’s Brothel.

Trim Bissel: THE REUNION Besmilr Brigham: SONGS FROM THE THIRTEENTH MASK William Bronk: SIX POEMS Sanford Chernoff: NOT MY ANIMAL Marvin Cohen: LOVE BY PROXY OF SOLITUDE Lawrence Ferlinghetti: THE THIRD WORLD Mitchell Goodman: EIGHT POEMS James B. Hall: TRIUMPH OF THE OMOPHAGISTS Walter Hamady: PLUM-FOOT POEMS Anselm Hollo: THE COHERENCES Emmet Jarret: DESIGN: A VISION Erik Lindegren: THE MAN WITHOUT A WAY Thomas Merton: PLESSY VS. FERGUSON: THEME AND VARIATION W. S. Mervin: TWO POEMS Paul van Ostaijen: IKA LOCH’S BROTHEL Cesare Pavese: DEATH WILL COME AND WILL HAVE YOUR EYES James Purdy: MR. EVENING Mia Raffel: SNAILSFEET Margaret Randall: THE IMPOSSIBLE FILM STRIP OR, HISTORY OF MARRIAGE Edouard Roditi: MEDITATION ON BOOKS Roberto Sanesi: INFORMATION REPORT Mark Strand: THE WAY IT IS