Poetry is often used to describe relationships, as recent collections by Dinah Dietrich and Diane Lockward show.
Poets and Poems: Clive James and “Sentenced to Life”
“Sentenced to Life” by Clive James is not about dealing with death; instead, it is the story of a poet discovering life.
Poets and Poems: Laurie Klein and “Where the Sky Opens”
“Where the Sky Opens” by Laurie Klein shows how poems can help us navigate major life changes.
Poets and Poems: Sarah Howe and “Loop of Jade”
Young poet Sarah Howe has won the prestigious T.S. Eliot Prize for her collection “Loop of Jade.” And a beautiful collection it is.
Poets and Poems: Danniel Schoonebeek and “American Barricade”
Danniel Schoonebeek’s “American Barricade” is an important collection blending the personal with the social and stressing the importance of language.
Poetic Voices: Jen Karetnick and E. Kristin Anderson
Both Jen Karetnick and E. Kristin Anderson use subjects in popular culture to inspire their poetry: Karetnick writes about food; Anderson, about the pop star Prince.
Poets and Poems: Donald Hall and “Selected Poems”
Donald Hall says he can’t write poetry any more. His new “Selected Poems” demonstrates the sufficiency of what he’s written.
Poets and Poems: Dave Harrity and “These Intricacies”
In his new collection of poems, Dave Harrity tells stories with simplicity and clarity, firmly planted in his Kentucky landscape.
Poets and Poems: Sean O’Brien and “The Drowned Book”
The Drowned Book and The Beautiful Librarians by U.K. poet Sean O’Brien show how he’s one of the finest poets writing in English today.
Poetic Voices: Chelsea Rathburn and Kristina Marie Darling
Two recent collections by Chelsea Rathburn and Kristina Marie Darling both deal with grief, but it is a grief different from that over physical death.
Poetic Voices: Joan Murray and Ellen Kombiyil
In two recent collections, poets Joan Murray and Ellen Kombiyil demonstrate the power of poetry for telling stories.
Poetic Voices: Shelley Puhak and Jennifer K. Sweeney
Two recent poetry collections, by Shelley Puhak and Jennifer Sweeney, illustrate how well poetry can convey the idea of longing.
Poetic Voices: Molly Fisk and Miriam Bird Greenberg
Imagery is a critical aspect of poetry, and using it well, as Molly Fisk and Miriam Bird Greenberg do, significantly enhances the strength of the writing.
Poetic Voices: Paula Marie Coomer and Donna Vorreyer
Poets Donna Vorreyer and Paula Marie Coomer write about their lives, showing us that poetry is work and it is like windows into the soul.
Poetic Voices: Megan Fernandes and Sandra Marchetti
Two poets – Megan Fernandes and Sandra Marchetti – write words that linger in the memory long after the books are closed.
Poets and Poems: Susan Lewis
Poet Susan Lewis asks how we can fully understand each other, and she does it within the frameworks of both prose poetry and the more familiar verse form.
Poetic Voices: Rachel Heimowitz and J.L. Jacobs
In recent collections Rachel Heimowitz and J.L. Jacobs deal with the sense of place – contemporary Israel and the places of childhood and imagination.
Poets and Poems: Sarah Blake and “Mr. West”
Poet Sarah Blake wrote 46 poems about rapper Kanye West, an “unauthorized biography” that speaks profoundly about popular culture today.
Poetic Voices: Sheila Squillante and Jessica Goodfellow
The poetry of both Sheila Squillante and Jessica Goodfellow presents the familiar in completely new terms, clarifying or uncovering insights and ideas.
Poetic Voices: Allison Carter and Maggie Smith
Allison Carter explores echoes and space, calling them ghosts, while poet Maggie Smith creates fables for contemporary readers.