(1920–)

American poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, biographer, editor, and art critic.

Like—but not with—the Beat writers, Guest performed her works at the Living Theater and other Greenwich Village locales during the 1950s. One of the five founding members of the New York School of Poets and its only founding female, Guest has enjoyed an expansive career as a Modernist poet and author. While critical attention has often passed her by in favor of cofounders Frank O’Hara and John Ashbery, Guest nevertheless has earned a distinctive reputation as an experimental and innovative poet. Interested in the language of poetry rather than the narrative or ideas, she also avoids political and social commentary in favor of developing the visual potential of the poetic medium. Her many volumes and collaborations are rich testaments to her unique vision and the influence of abstract imagery...