“Activists take over Poetry magazine.”

So begins my lengthy article on the poets of the Activist Group, which formed in the 1930s around my father Lawrence Hart and achieved national profile in the 1950s. The piece appears in the online journal Talisman: A Journal of Poetry & Poetics. I describe Hart’s critical ideas, his unique approach to nurturing poetic talent, and the very diverse styles his students evolved. Concluding with work by contemporary poets working in this tradition, the article is a down payment on a pending Activist Anthology. Here’s more about the background and current publications and readings.