ABSTRACT
Like the 19th-century American transcendentalists, Gary Sotowrites with vivid details about both nature and human conditions, employing concrete natural imagery to sketch lively pictures of the outdoors and the human presence in nature. Born and raised in Fresno, California, Soto is one of the youngest poets to appear in The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. Recipient of the 1976 United States Award of the International Poetry Forum, The Elements of San joaquin (1977) elevated Soto from an obscure poet to a place among the most notable in contemporary American poetry. In an interview, Soto remarked, "What I felt was that I knew something about life that other people didn't realize. I thought I had a mystical sight" (Binder, 1985). This "mystical sight" and a sustained interest in not only the Chicano condition but also the human condition have defined his career. Soto is the author of ten poetry collections for adults, most significant among them New and Selected Poems, a 1995 finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the National Book Award.
