Leaving Another Kingdom

Leaving Another Kingdom is a collection of poetry by Gerald Stern, published in 1990 as his seventh book of poems. The volume contains works written during a period when Stern traveled between Pittsburgh and Paris. Stern's poems move between memories of his Jewish upbringing in Pittsburgh and observations of life in Europe. His verses incorporate elements of both personal history and wider cultural reflection, often focusing on displacement and identity. The narratives shift between urban and pastoral settings, with recurring motifs of migration and transformation appearing throughout the collection. Many poems deal with transitions - between places, phases of life, and states of being. The collection presents dualities of exile and belonging, exploring how one's sense of home exists simultaneously in multiple kingdoms - geographical, spiritual, and psychological.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Gerald Stern's overall work: Readers connect deeply with Stern's conversational tone and raw emotional honesty in poems about family, Judaism, and urban life. Reviews frequently mention his ability to find meaning in everyday moments and memories. What readers liked: - Direct, accessible language that remains sophisticated - Personal narratives that expand into universal themes - Rich descriptions of Pittsburgh and Jewish-American experiences - Humor mixed with serious reflection - Strong sense of place and memory What readers disliked: - Some poems can feel rambling or overly long - References can be obscure without context - Later collections seen as repetitive in themes - Occasional political commentary feels forced Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.2/5 average across collections Amazon: 4.4/5 average "This Time": 4.5/5 (2,100+ ratings) "Lucky Life": 4.3/5 (1,800+ ratings) One reader noted: "His poems read like intimate conversations with a wise friend." Another observed: "Stern makes the ordinary extraordinary without being pretentious."

Walking Light by Stephen Dunn The collection examines life's complexities through narrative poetry that balances memory, nature, and personal revelations.

What Work Is by Philip Levine Working-class experiences and industrial landscapes merge with personal history in poems that capture American labor and identity.

The Wild Iris by Louise Glück Garden flowers speak in human voices to explore existence, death, and rebirth through interconnected poems.

The Dream Songs by John Berryman A sequence of poems follows the character Henry through confessions and observations of mid-century American life.

Refusing Heaven by Jack Gilbert Memory-driven poems trace a life journey through European landscapes and personal relationships while contemplating mortality.

🌟 Gerald Stern wrote this poetry collection while serving as a professor at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, one of America's most prestigious creative writing programs. 📚 The book was published in 1990 and won the Melville Cane Award from the Poetry Society of America. 🖋️ Many poems in this collection draw from Stern's Jewish heritage and his experiences growing up in Pittsburgh during the Great Depression. 🎭 The title "Leaving Another Kingdom" reflects Stern's recurring themes of exile, displacement, and transformation—concepts deeply rooted in both Jewish history and personal experience. 🏆 This collection helped cement Stern's reputation as one of America's most influential post-war poets, leading to his later appointment as New Jersey's first Poet Laureate in 2000.