This book aims to gather a selection that represents the diversity and richness of American poetry written by poets who share a sophistication that promises to evolve, with continued effort and risk, a new and powerful poetic idiom.

Following the immense success of "The Art of the Tale", Daniel Halpern has assembled the next generation of short-story writers -- those born after 1937, which combines the best of the established masters as well as the fresh, new voices of writers whose work has seldom been translated into English.

A dazzling collection and already a standard reference for those interested in contemporary drama, Plays in One Act is a unique compilation of plays and monologues that showcases a stunning and diverse array of work from some of the most important voices in theater.

Forty-three modern works are collected here: from plays by important contemporary artists such as David Mamet, Wendy Wasserstein, Sam Shepard, and John Guare, to gems by masters like Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams, and newer talents like Carol S. Lashof and Perry Souchuk. Leading British playwrights -- Tom Stoppard, David Hare, and John Osborne -- are also featured, along with the international voices of Vaclav Hacel and Kobo Abe, and works by such established wtiters as Eudora welty, Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Ford, and Garrison Keilor, who are writing outside their traditional genres.