Fire to Fire

“Fire to Fire should solidify Doty’s position as a star of contemporary American poetry. . . . The poems combine close attention to the fragile, contingent things of the world with the constant, almost unavoidable chance of transcendence.” — Publishers Weekly A landmark collection of new and published works by one of our finest poets that is a testament to the clarity and thoughtful lyricism of his poems Fire to Fire collects the best works from seven books of poetry by Mark Doty, acclaimed poet and New York Times bestselling author of two memoirs, Firebird and Dog Years. Doty’s subjects—our mortal situation, the evanescent beauty of the world, desire’s transformative power, and art’s ability to give shape to human lives—echo and develop across twenty years of poems. His signature style encompasses both the plainspoken and the artfully wrought; here one of contemporary American poetry’s most lauded, recognizable voices speaks to the crises and possibilities of our times. This essential collection charts a geography of feeling across two decades of prize-winning work: Lyrical Poems: Doty’s signature style, moving between the plainspoken and the artfully wrought, finds transcendence in the fragile, contingent things of the world. Elegiac Poetry: Tender, unflinching elegies that bear witness to the AIDS crisis and confront mortality with unforgettable clarity and grace. The Natural World: From a turtle on a back road to a whale in the harbor, these poems find meaning in the startling lives of animals and the evanescent beauty of the landscape. New and Selected Poems: Gathering the best of seven previous volumes alongside a generous selection of new work, this collection is the perfect introduction for new readers and a treasure for longtime fans.