In this diverse anthology, over 80 of the Golden State 's finest poets hold forth on the theme of crows and ravens offering passionate, vivid, sometimes humorous, and ever-surprising views of these common yet mysterious birds, called black as the sun by Gary Snyder. Among the contributors are the Poet Laureate of California and two Poet Laureates of the United States, as well as leading California poets such as Christopher Buckley, William Everson, Paul Fericano, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Molly Fisk, Dan Gerber, Michael Hannon, Steve Kowit, Perie Longo, Glenna Luschei, Jim Natal, Barry Spacks, David Starkey, Ann Stanford, Joseph Stroud, Jackson Wheeler, and Cecilia Woloch.Other contributors include: Sylvia Alcon, Ron Alexander, Maureen Alsop, Len Anderson, Cathryn Andresen, Jennifer Arin, Rochelle Arellano, Lisl Auf der Heide, Bettina T. Barrett, Abigail Brandt, M. L. Brown, John F. Buckley, Jeanette Clough, Constance Crawford, Patrick Daly, Carol V. Davis, Frances Pettey Davis, ellen, Roe Estep, Robert W. Evans, Joan Fallert, Mary Fitzpatrick, W. K. Gourley, Lara Gularte, Kevin Hearle, Katie Goodridge Ingram, Sheila Golburgh Johnson, Greg Karpain, Susan Kelly-DeWitt, Kit Kennedy, Lois Klein, Danusha Lam ris, Noreen Lawlor, Andre Levi, Ellaraine Lockie, Paula C. Lowe, Friday Lubina, Maia, devorah major, Diane Kirsten Martin, Julianna McCarthy, Kathleen McClung, Deborah A. Miranda, Charlotte Muse, Ruth Nolan, David Oliveira, Martin Ott, Melinda Palacio, Robert Peake, Connie Post, Peg Quinn, R. S. Read, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Halie Rosenberg, Mary Rudge, Mary Kay Rummel, June Sylvester Saraceno, Edwin Shaw, Kim Shuck, Dian Sousa, Patrice Vecchione, Doris Vernon, Patricia Wellingham-Jones, and Charan Sue Wollard.