Library Journal Review

The 11 poets in this anthology are rep resentative of the past 40 years in Israe li poetry. Collections by some poets (Amichai, Pagis, Kovner, Gilboa, and Ravikovitch) are already available in English translation. The work of others (such as David Avidan, Yona Wallach, or Haim Gouri) is relatively unknown outside Israel. The only obvious omis sion is T. Carmi. Selections are gener ous, the translations more than ade quate if not exciting. Introductions, placing the work of each poet in per spective, are extremely valuable. Less can be said for the general introduction, however: taking a defensive stance, the editors raise problematic issues before the reader is prepared for them, and the academic tone makes the piece almost unreadable. Otherwise, an extremely useful addition to libraries. Rochelle Ratner, formerly Poetry Editor, ``Soho Weekly News,'' New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.