Surprise! Surprise!

In the desert
- Stephen Crane (1871-1900)

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: “Is it good, friend,”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;
“But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart.”

from: The Black Riders.

 
I found this powerful piece on, Everything Distils Into Reading, the blog of Gautami Tripathy, and I just needed to know more about its author, Stephen Crane.

Yes, I know I said that I was going to focus on new poets this year ... But I can throw in some extras. No?

On looking him him up, I got quite a surprise. Not only had I heard of him before, I had already read some of his work, but I hadn't made the connection.

Perhaps you've heard of a little novel called Red Badge of Courage. (Gutenberg) Yup. It's his.

As I read on I found that he is actually considered a very innovative and influential writer.

Crane's writing is filled with vivid intensity and irony, and he captures distinctive dialects with ease.

For more information about Steven Crane and his writing, try: here, here, here, here, here, & here.