Langdon Hammer has given us the first biography of the poet James Merrill (1926-95), whose life is surely one of the most fascinating in American literature. Merrill was born to high privilege and high expectations as the son of Charles Merrill, the charismatic cofounder of the brokerage firm Merril[...]

A definitive collection of writings by the complicated American poet includes his complete body of poetic and prose works as well as a generous selection of his letters, in a volume that offers insight into his tempestuous relationships with family members and such contemporaries as Allen Tate, Mari[...]