Denise Levertov

The Collected Poems of Denise Levertov are now available in a handsome one-volume edition edited by Paul A Lacey, with an introduction by Eavan Boland, published by New Directions. 

Here, from her reading in Los Angeles, in 1993, for the Lannan Foundation are six poems, “Settling”, “Open Secret”.”Tragic Error”, “The Danger Moment”, “A Gift” and “For Those Whom the Gods Love Less”

Here, in an audio over-view from The Poetry Foundation, are recordings of several poems recorded in 1971 at the Library of Congress, “At The Justice Department, November 15, 1969″,”What My House Would Be Like If It Were A Person”, “The Wealth of the Destitute”,  “Psyche in Sommerville”, and “Somebody Trying”.

Here‘s a recording of a 1964 reading in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Poetry Foundation, incidentally, reproduces her important 1965 essay – “Notes on Organic Form” – here

Here’s Denise reading her singular poem,  Life At War”

The significance of the Levertov-Duncan correspondence can not be underestimated.

The Woodberry Poetry Room at Harvard has a treasury of audio – three readings (from 1960, 1962 and 1986.

Here‘s a whole slew of poems.
Here’s Denise reading “Woman Alone” at the St Mark’s Church Poetry Project in New York in 1977.

Robert Creeley recalls Denise Levertov here.

Allen and her were, of course, co-participants in the legendary 1963 Vancouver Conference.
Her reading there is here (and her panel participation here, here and here)

Heres  Publisher’s Weekly‘s enthusiastic review of the Collected

Here are more reviews Drew Calvert in The American Reader and Bob Arnold‘s note in his always-wise Longhouse Birdhouse blog 

For more on her extraordinary life, fighting for poetry, fighting for social justice, Donna Hollenberg’s recent biography from the University of California PressA Poet’s Revolution should certainly not be missed.

Denise Levertov 1923-1997

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