Before Expansive poetry and its offshoots, New Formalism and New Narrative poetry, coalesced as an identifiable movement, Jared Carter had already established a small but important body of work that differed to a large extent from the prevailing Modernist and postmodernist crosscurrents in American poetry. Whether employing free verse or traditional meters, Carter's verse has been distinguished by its strong narrative line and its attention to minute detail. In addition, Carter has been unafraid to abandon the prevailing confessional lyric, and he frequently knits an entire short story in verse should his subject require it. In this respect, he eventually proved to be one of the unsung innovators in American poetry as the twentieth century wound to its uncertain close. Born and reared in the American Midwest, Carter was strongly influenced by the region of his birth. A significant body of his work explores the life and history...