Shannon: A Poem of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

By Campbell McGrath

“An unexpected story and a gem of a book.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The incomparable Campbell McGrath, whom Outside magazine calls, “A writer who could help save poetry from academia and get the rest of us reading it again,” delivers an astounding work: Shannon, an epic poem that traces the remarkable journey of the youngest member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The Kansas City Star praises Shannon as, “A luminescent narrative…a myth of American character before its corruption,” and Campbell McGrath—Poet Laureate, Guggenheim Fellowship, Pushcart Prize, and three-time Academy of American Poets Prize winner—proves once again to be truly an “everyman poet” who channels the spirit of Walt Whitman in this lyrical adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: May 22, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061880131

Campbell McGrath

Campbell McGrath is the author of nine previous books, eight of them available from Ecco Press. He has received numerous prestigious awards for his poetry, including a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant,” and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He has been published in the New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, the Paris Review, the New Yorker, Poetry, and Ploughshares, among other prominent publications, and his poetry is represented in dozens of anthologies. He teaches in the MFA program at Florida International University, and lives with his family in Miami Beach.

Book preview

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Reviews for Shannon

[violetbramble · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Who finds this bodyBe it knownMy name is George Shannon& I bequeath my remainsTo seed this landWith American bonesThis poem tells the story of George Shannon. George Shannon was the youngest member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He was just 19 in 1804 when he became separated from the rest of the group and wandered in the Nebraska and South Dakota territories for 16 days. He followed the Missouri River attempting to catch up with the rest of the expedition. He had actually gotten ahead of the expedition - they were detained when dealing with local tribes they met along the river. When they found him he had nearly starved to death.Since Shannon did not keep a journal on the expedition McGrath has fictionalized his lost 16 days and included some information from the official journals of Lewis and Clark. I found the sections where Shannon was starting to hallucinate from lack of food very inventive. I liked this poem a lot - it was inventive, fun, sad and informative. Also a big plus in my book - there was a mention of the Kickapoo Indian tribe. My maternal great grandmother was Kickapoo Indian. Mentions of the Kickapoo are rare.