Howling at the Moon : Poems 1990 – 2009 by James Ragan

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“James Ragan’s poems spare no passion in believing they sing.”
–Nobel Prize Winner Seamus Heaney

“His poetry is a testament to universal brotherhood. He is my brother.”
–Yevgeny Yevtushenko

“James Ragan dominates the art of image, the art of poetic line,
and the art of poetic narration with insight that marks major poets.”
–Miroslav Holub, Nobel Prize Nominee

American poet James Ragan’s Howling at the Moon is a poetic exploration of survival, unity, and the enduring power of hope. Rooted in a global sensibility, the collection captures the universal and eternal, transcending borders and time. The moon—an archetype of inspiration—becomes a guiding force, symbolizing resilience in the face of adversity. Ragan’s poetry traverses philosophical and political landscapes, engaging themes of alienation, world hunger, and the common good. From The Tent People of Beverly Hills to The Hunger Wall, his verse bears witness to human struggle and perseverance across 34 nations. At its heart, the book seeks to unite through shared experience, illuminating the beauty of our collective humanity and the promise of new beginnings. As reflected in The Astonishment of Living, Ragan calls on us to embrace kindness, bridge divides, and revel in the grandeur of life.

“James Ragan’s poems are satisfying and distinctive,
full of arresting collocations and striking phrases.”
– Richard Wilbur, U.S. Poet Laureate

James Ragan’s fine-grained and witty poems move us through a remarkable
range of history and geography, thematic variety and tonal dexterity.”
– C.K. Williams, Pulitzer Prize Winner

“It is James Ragan’s eloquence and scholarship which attract all.
Yes, he is an internationally celebrated poet. Yes, it’s known that he’s one of America’s
most likely candidates for Poet Laureate and the great World prizes.
His poetry is profound, reflecting the extraordinary terrain of his heart.”
– Paul Zindel, Pulitzer Playwright

“James Ragan is a snake charmer whose words work real magic.”
– Henry Taylor, Pulitzer Prize Winner

“In Jim Ragan’s poetry, there is a lyrical wisdom.
It is this juxtaposition that makes his work so exhilarating…”
– Studs Terkel, Pulitzer Prize Winner

“Happy to help his students make movie deals, James Ragan devotes his own talents to the less lucrative art of poetry. Bob Dylan says he’s the real thing. Bob Dylan is right.”
– Buzz Magazine, 100 Coolest People in L.A. Oct. 1996

“James Ragan continues his song through the centuries in language that echoes Rilke.”
–Publisher’s Weekly

“Ragan is searching for reason and sense, in the flow of events, the passage of days. The rewards are many…” –Library Journal

“Ragan’s poetry lights the passage to the larger world of global citizenship.”
– William Matthews, National Book Critics Prize

“James Ragan’s poetry is splendidly candid, original, energized, connected to the real world, honed, humane … full of nuances, of music, of idioms he’s heard and invented.”
– Michael S. Harper, Robert Frost Award Winner

“James Ragan’s poems are dry ice smoking from contact.”
– Los Angeles Herald Examiner

James Ragan is an internationally acclaimed American poet, playwright, and essayist. Born to immigrant parents from Eastern Slovakia, he was raised in Pittsburgh, where English was his second language. He earned a Ph.D. from Ohio University and received honorary Doctor of Letters degrees from Richmond University in London and St. Vincent College.

For over two decades, Ragan directed the Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California while serving 24 summers as a Distinguished Professor of Poetry at Charles University in Prague. His work has been published in 15 languages and included in 36 international anthologies. He is the author of 12 poetry collections, including The Hunger Wall (Grove Press) and Too Long a Solitude (University of Oklahoma Press), and co-editor of Yevgeny Yevtushenko: Collected Poetry (Henry Holt).

Ragan’s numerous honors include Fulbright Fellowships, the Emerson Poetry Prize, nine Pushcart Prize nominations, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and the Swan Foundation Humanitarian Award. He was also nominated for Poet Laureate of California.
He has read for seven international Heads of State, the United Nations, Carnegie Hall, CNN, C-SPAN, PBS, NPR, and the BBC, as well as in 36 countries, including China, Japan, India, France, Spain, England, Sweden, Brazil, and Greece. In 1985, he was invited—alongside Nobel Laureates Seamus Heaney and Bob Dylan—to read for Mikhail Gorbachev at the Moscow International Poetry Festival. In 2024, he was awarded the Gold Medal of Honor by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As a playwright, Ragan’s works The Landlord and Commedia have been staged in the U.S., Moscow, Beijing, and Athens. In film, he worked on staff during the production of The Godfather and The Deer Hunter and served as a story consultant for the Czech biopic Havel (2020).

He is the subject of the Arina Films documentary Flowers and Roots, winner of 17 film festival awards, including the Platinum Prize at the 49th Houston Film Festival. (View online at jamesragan.com.) In 1996, BUZZ Magazine named him one of the “100 Coolest People in Los Angeles: Those Who Make a Difference.”