Philip Levine's collection of poetry, The Simple Truth, won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize. Publishers Weekly praised The Simple Truth by noting "the 'simplicity' of his language, offering an ease of approach to us, seems to give truth (and poetry) to everyone."
Levine's poetry is grounded in the harsh reality of contemporary life. He once described his poetry as an attempt to create "a voice for the voiceless." His acclaimed early volumes include Not This Pig (1968), They Feed They Lion (1972), Ashes (1979), which received the American Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and 7 Years From Somewhere (1979) which also received the National Book Critics Circle Award. He also has written The Bread of Time: Toward an Autobiography (1994), nine essays which focus on a particular person or place important in the author's life.
