Poems

Book excerpt: From her work in dance and choreography to her films and writings, Yvonne Rainer (born 1934) has established herself as one of the America's greatest living artists. This first collection of her poems, which were written from the late 1990s onwards and have never before been published, affirms her ability to endow words with corporeality, propulsion and swift-moving narrative. Full of wit and candor, Rainer's poems evoke the rhythm of an urban landscape peopled with old friends and colleagues, trying to make art or simply trying to make ends meet. Memories entangle with news headlines and conversations overheard on the subway, making the poems feel both intimate yet social. Accompanying the poems is a selection of black-and-white images curated by Rainer, varying from news clippings to intimate photographs from Rainer's personal archive. Poet and critic Tim Griffin contributes an introduction.