Last of the Lincolns: New and Selected Poems

A powerful, deeply human collection from one of America's most distinctive literary voices.In Last of the Lincolns: New and Selected Poems, Gerald Nicosia-renowned biographer of Jack Kerouac-turns his sharp eye and generous heart fully to poetry. This sweeping collection gathers new work alongside selected poems that trace a lifetime of experience, memory, and reflection.Moving effortlessly between elegy, tribute, haiku, and narrative verse, Nicosia writes with clarity and emotional honesty, inviting readers into a world shaped by love, loss, friendship, and the passage of time. From intimate portraits of family in "Wives, Mothers, and Daughters" to vivid encounters with literary legends in "Kerouac and Other Beat Heroes," these poems honor both the personal and the cultural forces that define a life.Here, the Beat Generation lives again-alongside mothers, daughters, lovers, and lost friends-each rendered with compassion and unflinching truth. Nicosia's work bridges the spirit of American counterculture with a timeless search for meaning, capturing moments of beauty in everyday life and confronting mortality with courage and grace.Whether reflecting on aging, memory, or the enduring power of human connection, Last of the Lincolns offers poetry that is accessible, moving, and profoundly resonant.For readers of contemporary American poetry, Beat literature, and literary biography, this collection is both a tribute and a revelation. Read more