The Essential Rumi

If Rumi is the most-read poet in Americay today, Coleman Barks is in good part responsible. His ear for the truly divine madness in Rumi's poetry is truly remarkable.

Coleman Barks is a renowned poet and the bestselling author of The Essential Rumi, The Soul of Rumi, Rumi: The Book of Love, and The Drowned Book. He was prominently featured in both of Bill Moyers's PBS television series on poetry, The Language of Life and Fooling with Words. He taught English and poetry at the University of Georgia for thirty years, and he now focuses on writing, readings, and performances. This book is the culmination of over thirty years of Barks's work on Rumi's seminal classic.