Since its debut in 1988, The Best American Poetry series has showcased seventy-five poems annually, continuing to bring our most radiant and inventive writing to an ever increasing audience. This year's edition, selected and introduced by guest editors Adrienne Rich, reflects her commitment to social justice, human community, and the voices of poets outside the literary mainstream. More African-American, Native American, Asian-American, Latino, and gay and lesbian poets are represented here than ever before, and their pieces weave a lush and exquisite tapestry of thought and feeling. From Latif Asad Abdullah's "The Tombs" to Ray A. Young Bear's "Our Bird Aegis, " "The Best American Poetry 1996" explores and illuminates a rich array of themes and forms, all drawing from the deep wells of American life and culture.