John Berryman's Public Vision: Relocating the Scene of Disorder

Offers an original reappraisal of important twentieth-century American poet John Berryman's work. Drawing on published and previously unpublished manuscript sources in poetry and prose, and challenging the confessional labeling of him that has dominated his critical reception and popular perception for decades, the book argues that Berryman (1914-72) had a far greater concern for developments in the public sphere than has previously been acknowledged. This book provides a detailed and comprehensive reconsideration of the poet's achievement in his centenary year.