In the activist verse of this poetic warrior, always committed, the actual world is never out of mind, even in his most intimate poems. Kabbalist, populist, and communist, Hirschman has published over sixty books of his own poetry, and this representative selection is a cross-section of his poetic output, spanning many years and mutations. When he reads aloud, the words take fire, and on the page they crackle and spark. Jack Hirschman is a San Francisco poet, translator and editor. His powerfully eloquent voice set the tone for political poetry in this country many years ago. He is the author of numerous books of poetry, plus some forty-five translations from a half a dozen languages, as well the editor of anthologies and journals.

The fourth volume of the San Francisco Poet Laureate Series, All That’s Left is a powerful collection of poems for social justice by street-poet-turned- laureate Jack Hirschman. The volume opens with Hirschman’s autobiographical inaugural address, which vividly traces his career as poet, translator, and agitator. Included are several of Hirschman’s earlier poems, marking successive stages of his poetic development. The poems following the address were composed during his tenure as poet laureate, covering contemporary outrages like post-Katrina New Orleans and the Virginia Tech tragedy, paying homage to fallen poetic comrades like Jack Kerouac and Bob Kaufman, and exploring more personal dimensions of love.

“Poetry is really a weapon. It’s a spiritual weapon for the transformation of the world. And, of course, all my poems are love poems. The nicest thing in the world is to propagandize for love.”—Jack Hirschman “Jack is a very American voice. He certainly aims to be the Voice-of-the-People—of course, he would define ‘the people’ in Marxist terms.”—Lawrence Ferlinghetti In this unique collection of new and previously published work by San Francisco’s Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman, a lighter, humorous side of the award-winning poet is revealed. Even in his most ardent political pieces, Hirschman’s playful side shines through (“New World Odor”). Known for his commitment to social justice, Hirschman often frames ordinary urban moments with extraordinary clarity (“Folsom Prison Haiku”), gently guiding the reader to a new way of seeing. Also included are acerbic reflections on the fall of Communism (“Red-Baiter”), tender memorials for friends (“The Day Bobby Kaufman Died”), and melodious love poems (“A Woman’s Darkness”).