In this book, Morton's masterful translations and close readings of an astonishing variety of works-many of which appear here in English for the first time-become a way for him to rewrite the recent history of Japanese poetry. The reader is given an excellent sense of the arc of poetic innovation in the last three decades in Japan and all of its complexity, vibrancy, and cross-mediality. Most importantly, the author centers the strong interpersonal foundations of the Japanese poetry world: the networks of connection, influence, and 'misreadings,' that are so often the core engine of poetic experimentation, and yet are something so few studies have done justice to, like Morton has done here.

Andrew Campana, Associate Professor of Japanese Literature and Media, Cornell University, USA

Leith Morton offers a rich overview of contemporary Japanese poetry, covering a broad range of work with significant attention given to both women's and political poetry, touching upon important critical writings including those of Yoshimoto Takaaki, who has received little attention in the west despite his importance. Along with the theoretical apparatus, Morton provides ample translations of the poetry itself. This is a welcome addition to the understanding of Japanese poetry in the twenty-first-century.

Eric Selland, Independent Scholar of Japanese Poetry, Tokyo