Poetry. Ed Friedman has been a busy member of the New York poetry community since he moved to the city in 1971. Since 1987 he has served as the artistic director of the Poetry Project at St. Mark's. Ed Sanders has commented about DRIVE THROUGH THE BLUE CYLINDERS, For years, I've admired Friedman's clear and empowering verse about his family and his upbringing in California. In DRIVE THROUGH THE BLUE CYLINDERS he has brought forward some wilder moments of speculative creativity....You can count on Ed Friedman's book to take you on a fine ride. A joy...There are books one is glad to have on the shelf when the outside world's news darkens the skies inside the cabeza -- Anselm Hollo.