Joan Murray: “I grew up on the Harlem River in the Highbridge section of the South Bronx—between the roars from Yankee Stadium to the east and the Polo Grounds to the west. My New York was a place of adventure (I walked alone through the dark of an abandoned subway tunnel) and for meeting interesting people (I helped shield a teen boy prostitute from the police). But my New York was also a place of anonymity, social divides, and inescapable dangers. I left New York in my thirties but still dream about it once a week: Either I’m lost there or trying to find my way back. As a poet, I thank New York for giving me a broad, detailed vision, an energetic rhythm, and deep introspection. Not surprisingly, it’s the setting of many of my poems, particularly in my first book and also my latest one.” (web)
