Southern Messenger Poets

Capturing the breadth of Julie Kane’s poetics across nearly four decades—formalist and neo-confessional, steeped in both Boston Irish-American and New Orleans cultures—Naked Ladies displays the full range and achievement of her work. Gathered here in one volume are selections from Kane’s five previous collections, including her long-out-of-print first book and her subsequent winners of the National Poetry Series and Donald Justice Poetry Prize. Readers will also find a generous selection of new and previously uncollected work. The title of this milestone collection acknowledges Kane’s place in the tradition of women confessional poets, evokes the nickname of a common Louisiana flower, and nods to the honesty and frankness that characterize her poems’ speakers.