A Craving for Swan

This volume collects essays broadcast on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" between 1983 and 1985 by Romanian-American poet and writer Codrescu. In these essays Codrescu comments on the American scene, striking deep philosophical chords and interpreting the signs of our times. His subjects range from bits of history, something he saw on the street, and a trivial newspaper report to incidents from his own life, the creation of the umbrella, and America's obsession with youth. The author makes powerful statements about life in America, comparing it to his own experience prior to coming to America, and recalls the lives and deaths of poets who lived and worked in Russia and his nativeland. ISBN 0-8142-0415-5: $12.95.