One Above & One Below

Erin Belieu’s debut, Infanta, was selected for the National Poetry Series and quickly sold through its large first printing. Both The Washington Post and the National Book Critics Circle named it one of the best poetry books of 1993. In her second book, Belieu proves herself a poet worthy of all the recognition. Coaxing a voice of urban chic from the dirt-filled roots of rural tension, these poems are as captivating as any in American poetry. One Above & One Below resists the oppressive limits of traditional gender roles, interrupting power dynamics in this impressive second collection.