HIRSCHFIELD FINISHES DEAL ON BOOK OF POEMS

Cape Girardeau poet Ted Hirschfield's fourth book, "Middle Mississippians: Encounters with the Prehistoric Amerindians," has been accepted for publication by the University of Florida Press.

"Middle Mississippians" is a verse history of the mound-building cultures that flourished locally between 1100 and 1500 A.D. It will be published in the fall.

Hirschfield's previous books are "Human Weather," "German Requiem" and "Orbiting God."

Hirschfield's book is one of only two selected for publication from a pool of 753 manuscripts submitted to the University of Florida Press during the past year.

"It's the best validation I've felt in years," he said, adding: "I'm determined to go down as a good minor American poet. I want to end up in the anthologies. My ambition is to get the Pulitzer."

"Middle Mississippians" is a book about the history of this region, Hirshfield says. "It traces the development of Mississippian culture in the heartland here -- not the KFVS heartland, the original heartland. It's a wonderful testimonial to that culture that is rapidly disappearing.

Hirschfield, an associate professor of English at Southeast, has been embroiled in a legal dispute with the university that apparently is nearing resolution. He now is scheduled to retire from the university May 31.

"I am taking early retirement so I can find a position as a writer in residence somewhere and do nothing except deal with poetry," said Hirschfield, who is 53.

Two more Hirschfield poetry manuscripts -- "Find Out Love" and "Life Currents" -- are completed.

"I'm determined to leave behind a good 10 volumes of poetry," he said.