Finding “Refusing Heaven” by Jack Gilbert in a Chicago-area bookstore leads to a consideration of what matters in these lives we live.
Francis Ledwidge: Reconsidering a War Poet
Irish poet Francis Ledwidge is not one of the better known poets of World War I, because he was an Irishman who fought for the British Army.
Fun Reading Activities: Color & Trace “The Monkeys Have Marshmallows”
Early readers Molly and Joe want to help a child learn to read. Learn fun facts about marshmallows and write a gooey limerick, along with this fun reading activity coloring page.
Novel, Poetry, Both? Max Porter and “Grief Is the Thing with Feathers”
“Grief Is the Thing with Feathers” by British author Max Porter is officially a novel, but it could also be poetry, or something else. And it’s wonderful.
Poets and Poems: Matt Duggan and “One Million Tiny Cuts”
“One Million Tiny Cuts” by poet Matt Duggan is a bold, angry collection of poems, full of vivid images and metaphors, and a kind of fist raised at society.
Reading in the Wild: January’s Pages
Come learn the secrets of being a wild reader. Or just share your January pages. Megan Willome leads the way, with her January good reads.
The T.S. Eliot Prize: “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong
“Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong has won the 2017 T.S. Eliot Prize. It is a stunning, haunting, and disquieting collection.
Poets and Poems: Michael Pedersen and “Oyster”
“Oyster” by Scottish poet Michael Pedersen is a jarring, irreverent poetry collection that wallops you with unexpected tenderness.
Poets and Poems: Jennifer Wallace and “Almost Entirely”
“Almost Entirely” by Jennifer Wallace contains 73 poems that look deeply at what makes us human, and what is within us that keeps reaching for the divine.
Poets and Poems: Tania Runyan and “What Will Soon Take Place”
The 54 poems of “What Will Soon Take Place” by Tania Runyan are inspired by an unexpected source — the Book of Revelation in the Bible.
Poets and Poems: Sinead Morrissey and “On Balance”
“On Balance,” the new poetry collection by Sinead Morrissey, reminds us that technology brings both the good and the tradeoff.
Rediscovering “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens
“Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens is one of his best and most beloved novels, one he initially described as “fine, new, and grotesque.”
What’s In a Reading Nook?
Bethany Rohde and her children take their reading nook into the outdoors for a new light on their reading time together.
Poets and Poems: Nikita Gill and “Wild Embers”
“Wild Embers” by Nikita Gill, comprising 113 relatively short poems, is a snapshot of a poet’s popularity on social media.
Poets and Poems: Caroline Bird and “In These Days of Prohibition”
“In These Days of Prohibition” by poet Caroline Bird forces us to see the meaning of ourselves and the life around us in different and unexpected ways.
Poets and Poems: Simon Armitage Translates “Pearl”
British poet Simon Armitage has translated the late Middle English poem “Pearl,” a beautiful poem about a father’s grief and how he resolves it.
Poets and Poems: Tara Skurtu and “The Amoeba Game”
In “The Amoeba Game,” poet Tara Skurtu explores her American and Romanian roots and writes about life, childhood, self-discovery, and identity.
Poets and Poems: Luke Kennard and “Cain”
In “Cain: Poems,” British poet Luke Kennard has brought the biblical character of Cain into contemporary life, with funny and poignant results.
Poets and Poems: Michelle Menting and “Leaves Surface Like Skin”
The poems of ‘Leaves Surface Like Skin” by Michelle Menting use the images and metaphors of nature to explore and explain the human condition.
The Lenore Marshall Prize: “Brooklyn Antediluvian” by Patrick Rosal
The Academy of American Poets has awarded the Lenore Marshall Prize to “Brooklyn Antediluvian,” an arresting and innovative collection by Patrick Rosal.