With the completion of The Changing Light at Sandover (1982), which presents the revised "sacred books" of his philosophical verse trilogy with the addition of a coda, James Merrill earned his place as one of the most original and major poets of the twen...

James Merrill's poetic career has moved steadily from accomplishment to vision; it is no extravagance to predict that his "sacred" books, when completed, will be regarded as a major poetic statement. But "sensational effects have subtle causes," Merrill...

A lyrical and mystical poet often compared to W. H. Auden and William Butler Yeats, James Merrill (1926-1995) is best known for his series of poems inspired by the automatic writing and messages of spirit guides through the medium of an Ouija board. Thes...

Il miglior abbr.: A1b. of Pound for the lonely and unsatisfied POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS By Ezra Pound Library of America, 1, 363pp., $45 BETTER THAN EZRA! All-man-ack! Never has any individual better deserved the moniker "Library of America." Herein, several fine phrases...

The waiting room is totally empty. Oddly enough, the chairs are very present. When the alarm rings he stretches out his arm, pushes the button before opening his eyes. The sign says: it is forbidden to walk on the tracks. Danger...

Rev. Vien The Nguyen, a Catholic priest at a Vietnamese-American church in eastern New Orleans, chuckled when he saw the flier printed to notify Vietnamese speakers of air-quality tests on trailers housing thousands left homeless by Hurricane Katrina."It's gobbledygook," he said, noting the font used...

Not quite the Oscar, but Scarlett Johansson still was all smiles Thursday about being crowned the Harvard Hasty Pudding woman of the year. And happy to participate in the rambunctious roasting that goes along with the honor.She participated in a mock SAT exam, and endured...