New York School

The New York School was an informal group of American poets and painters active in 1950s New York City. Critics argued that their work was a reaction to the Confessionalist movement in contemporary poetry. Their poetic subject matter was often light, violent, or observational, while their writing style was often described as cosmopolitan and world-traveled. The poets often drew inspiration from Surrealism and the contemporary avant-garde art movement, in particular the action painting of their friends in the New York City art circle.

Books

• The New American Poetry, 1945-1960, Donald Merriam Allen, 1969
• An Anthology of New York Poets, Ron Padgett (ed.) and David Shapiro (ed.), 1970
• Frank O'Hara: Poet Among Painters, Marjorie Perloff, 1977
• The Last Avant-Garde: The Making of the New York School of Poets, David Lehman, 1998