Stephen Morrissey’s A Poet’s Journey: on poetry and what it means to be a poet includes essays and notes on becoming a poet and the art of poetry. Writing from a poet’s perspective Morrissey discusses the influence of older poets who act as mentors; the poet friends of one’s youth; poets whose books influence one’s own work; and the varied experiences of life that are important to the development of the poet’s writing. The art of poetry includes ideas about poetry; poetry as the voice of the human soul; visionary poetry; the purpose of experimental poetry; confessional poetry; and finding an authentic voice in poetry. Included, as well, are some of Morrissey’s early experiments in concrete poetry. The essays in this book are the culmination of a lifetime of thinking about what it means to be a poet and the art of poetry.

Stephen Morrissey was born in Montreal. He has edited two literary magazines, What Is, a journal of experimental poetry, and The Montreal Journal of Poetics. He is founding editor of Coracle Press and publishes on–line poetry chapbooks. He teaches English and Humanities at Champlain College, Montreal. His works include The Trees of Unknowing and Family Album.

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