Michael Schmidt is a literary historian, poet, novelist, translator, and anthologist as well as an editor and publisher. His books include The Novel: A Biography and The First Poets. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he received an OBE in 2006 for services to poetry and higher education. He lives in Manchester, England. Twitter @4Michael7
[A] wonderful book . . . Schmidt's argument for the poem as poetry, in the modern sense-concrete, unglazed, tough on the mind-is touching and persuasive. I read the book spellbound, in one sitting. ---Joan Acoella, New Yorker For anyone interested in language, history, or the power of a great story, this biography of a poem assures endless discoveries. ---Jeva Lange, The Week [I]f all literary studies were written so engagingly, more people would read them . . . If you have never read Gilgamesh before, Schmidt could be Virgil to your Dante, and if you have read it before, be prepared to let it be explicated in a new and lively way and to flow over your mind like quicksilver. ---John Butler, Asian Review of Books An insightful, stimulating book sure to breathe new life into the would-be immortal king. * Publishers Weekly * Schmidt's book deeply enriches our appreciation of a work already rich. A solid addition to all collections. ---Thomas L. Cooksey, Library Journal