The 15 ekphrastic poems in “Rayfish” by Mary Hickman, honored with the James Laughlin Award, explore culture and its meaning.
The Walt Whitman Award: “Afterland” by Mai Der Vang
In “Afterland,” winner of the Walt Whitman Award, poet Mai Der Vang explores what happened to the Hmong people after the Vietnam War.
Poets and Poems: Denise Riley and “Say Something Back”
“Say Something Back” by British poet Denise Riley considers the ways we do and don’t communicate, almost a plea to listen and hear each other.
Poetry and World War I: It Wasn’t Only England
“Everything to Nothing” by Geert Buelens provides a fascinating look into the breadth and depth of the role poetry played in World War I.
Poets and Poems: Barbara Crooker and “Les Fauves”
“Les Fauves,” the newest collection of poetry by Barbara Crooker, is inspired by the paintings of the Fauvism movement, especially those of Henri Matisse.
Poets and Poems: Dave Malone and “You Know the Ones”
Dave Malone may write about his beloved Missouri Ozarks, but the poems he writes are universal, and about family, friends, and geography.
Art and Poetry: “A Wider Landscape” by Donald Wilkinson
The paintings of artist Donald Wilkinson evoke the landscape and poetry of William Wordsworth, so much so that landscape and poetry become one.
Poets and Poems: Bernard O’Donoghue and “The Seasons of Cullen Church”
“The Seasons of Cullen Church” by Bernard O’Donoghue is moving and soul-searching, an exploration of the memories that make a life.
Poets and Poems: Kate Tempest and “Let Them Eat Chaos”
“Let Them Eat Chaos” by Kate Tempest is a long poem written to be read aloud, and it blows up the boundaries between poetry and performance.
“Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge” by Malcolm Guite
In “Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge,” Malcolm Guite tells the story of the poet’s life through the words and themes of his most famous poem.
Poets and Poems: Angela Alaimo O’Donnell and “Still Pilgrim”
“Still Pilgrim” by poet Angela Alaimo O’Donnell tells us that both the major events of our lives and the everyday are but steps in a pilgrimage.
2016 National Book Award Winner: “The Performance of Becoming Human” by Daniel Borzutzky
“The Performance of Becoming Human” by Daniel Borzutzky won the National Book Award for Poetry, and its 18 poems confront political and social issues.
T.S. Eliot Prize: “Jackself” by Jacob Polley
Jacob Polley’s poetry collection “Jackself” won the T.S. Eliot Poetry Prize for 2016, and it’s a work filled with folklore, childhood, and imagination.
Poets and Poems: Kathryn Nuernberger and “The End of Pink”
James Laughlin Award winner “The End of Pink” by Kathryn Nuernberger is a wild, exuberant poetry collection, sitting there at the frontier of imagination.
St. Valentine’s Day Story: A Girl, a Priest, and a Letter
St. Valentine’s Day may be a huge industry today, but it started with an imprisoned priest, a young girl, and a letter in ancient Rome.
Poetic Voices: Susan Lewis and Shanna Powlus Wheeler
Susan Lewis develops a theme of uncertainty in “Heisenberg’s Salon”; Shanna Powlus Wheeler interprets childhood and memory in “Lo & Behold.”
Poets and Poems: Mark Doty and “Deep Lane”
“Deep Lane” by Mark Doty includes nine poems with the title of “Deep Lane, ” and creates a sense of emotional if not physical distance.
Poetic Voices: Sandee Gertz Umbach and Lori Lamothe
Collections by Sandee Gertz Umbach and Lori Lamothe demonstrate how poets shape their words and images to communicate what inspires them.
Poets and Poems: John Sibley Williams and “Disinheritance”
“Disinheritance” by John Sibley Williams is a beautiful, moving collection of poems dealing with grief, both real and imagined.
Poets and Poems: Matt Duggan and “Dystopia 38.10”
In “Dystopia 38.10, ” poet Matthew Duggan takes the post-apocalyptic idea of dystopia and vividly applies it to contemporary society.