Select Poems

A selection from over 40 years of Bennett's work, introduced by Ivan Arg?elles. "Where to begin writing about this baffling and certainly most "avant-garde" of all poets living and working in the USA today? Bennett's reputation is international, and his interest in Mesoamerican culture has drawn him frequently to that part of the world where he is a recognized figure. His experimentations over the years have encompassed multiple techniques, including visual poetry, and his own "polyglottery," moving in and out of English, Spanish, Portuguese, French or some Mesoamerican language. What may seem aleatory is in fact more intentional and grounded than is first apparent. Bennett has roots in traditional literatures, those of 'Siglo de Oro' Spain and of Elizabethan England, but he is capable of transducing those literatures, metamorphosing them by way of the avant-garde movements of the 20th century, into something utterly innovative and New, such as few contemporary artists have done."