Mark Doty Summary

In the following interview, Doty discusses his creative process and aesthetic concerns, his thematic preoccupation with AIDS and gay identity, the influence of place and autobiography in his work, and... Read more

In the following review, Fenton discusses the criteria for the T. S. Eliot Prize and offers a positive evaluation of My Alexandria. On January 15 this year, Valerie Eliot presented the third annual... Read more

In the following review, Marks praises Heaven's Coast, asserting that the book is a powerful work of reminiscence in the canon of AIDS memoirs. Inadvertently, and quite unwillingly, I'... Read more

In the following interview, Doty discusses his literary career and life upon the publication of Heaven's Coast. Some weeks after the death of Wally Roberts, his partner of 12 years, the poet... Read more

In the following review, Glover lauds the brash, defiant language in Atlantis, contending that Doty is one of the “finest American poets of the last 20 years.” It was one of those rar... Read more

In the following excerpt, Boruch contends that Doty employs striking imagery and imagination in the poems in Turtle, Swan. It is exactly this crucial mix, this imagination, that makes Mark Doty�... Read more

In the following review, Tóibín provides a favorable assessment of My Alexandria and Heaven's Coast, but finds shortcomings in Atlantis. The words ‘HIV Positive’ ... Read more

In the following essay, Jarraway examines the discourse and poetics of androgyny found in Doty's writing, drawing direct parallels between Doty's exploration of gender and sexual identit... Read more

In the following review, Herd examines the poems in Sweet Machine, alleging that Doty's verse is polished, confessional, and reminiscent of other poets such as Robert Lowell, Paul Muldoon, and ... Read more

In the following review, the critic examines the recurring themes in Sweet Machine, noting that the collection shows a definite focus on such issues as redemption and joy. In this collection, Doty ... Read more

In the following excerpt, Baker faults Doty's poetic style in Bethlehem in Broad Daylight, claiming that Doty's voice lacks “dramatic significance” and laments the attempts... Read more

In the following review, Reichard compliments Firebird as a “beautifully wrought” recollection of Doty's early life experiences. Award-winning poet and memoirist Mark Doty, in ... Read more

In the following review, Freeman maintains that Doty is a skilled poet and memoirist, judging Firebird as a powerful, insightful reminiscence of the author's past. Mark Doty's Heaven&... Read more

In the following review, Marcus discusses the theme and style of Still Life with Oysters and Lemon and Murano, though cites shortcomings in the juxtaposition of text and images in the latter. Mark ... Read more

In the following interview, Doty discusses such issues as the development of his thematic and artistic preoccupations, the role of geography and public awareness in his work, and his aesthetic approac... Read more

In the following review, Gonzalez extols the elegiac poetry in My Alexandria, arguing that Doty manages to find positive truths and beauty amid pain and death. In his poem “Brilliance,ȁ... Read more

In the following excerpt, Bedient praises Doty's finesse and imagination in My Alexandria, but finds flaws in his tendency toward sentimentality and forced conceit. Affirmation (ii) (a) Betw... Read more

In the following review, Wilde praises Heaven's Coast and contends that Doty's voice and language in the collection are powerful and important pieces of the contemporary gay canon. As... Read more

In the following essay, critic Vendler reviews Atlantis and a work by August Kleinzahler and finds Doty occasionally capable of evoking empathy despite the inert rhythms in his work. The names Augu... Read more

In the following interview, Doty discusses trends in recent American poetry, how events in his teens led him to pursue writing, and how being gay affects style and self-presentation. [Wunderlich]: ... Read more

In the following essay, the author provides a good overview of Doty's life and career up to the publication of Firebird, with a focus on how AIDS effected Doty's personal life, memoirs, ... Read more

In the following essay, the author declares that Doty is an aesthete with a “very queer turn-of-the-century belief that art and literature are different from other objects and can bring a kind ... Read more