HONESTLY ASSESSING MOI 2012 POETRY READS

Whatever merit exists in moi poetry blather partly has to do with my diligence in reading others' poetry. So, for the year 2012, I read 263 publications by poets or on poets. The list below is alphabetized by the poets’ and/or editors’ last names (the latter usually because I include poetry journals in my read).

My reading is lower than my 2011 reads when I read at least 268 poetry books/collections, nine poetry or poetry-related anthologies, 17 poetry/literary journals and 26 other books/publications created by poets (I don’t separate out my 2012 list into categories this time because I’m lazy). So it’s clear that I need to step up moi game a bit in reading. Okay, I’ll do that—I’ve got plenty of spare time, after all (hah).

I’ll raise again some concepts (which I noted for 2009 when I began blogging my annual poetry reading lists), to wit:

The list is not a portrayal of the type of poetry I favor. In reading poems partly as a practitioner, I just want to know what's out there. I've found that POV to be more elucidating than trying to read through some defined aesthetic gate. The process is not just more educational but also makes for the fabulous moments of welcome discoveries—in 2012, moi DISCOVERIES OF THE YEAR include Lucille Clifton (late to the party, I know), Ron Padgett (really late to the party, I know), Richard Froude, S.S. Prasad, Daniela Olszewska, and all the poets in the anthology AS IF IT FELL FROM THE SUN: AN ETHERDOME ANTHOLOGY: TEN YEARS OF WOMEN’S WRITING, edited by Colleen Lookingbill & Elizabeth Robinson and featuring Merle Bachman, Faith Barrett, Margaret Butterfield, Erica Carpenter, Valerie Coulton, Caroline Crumpacker, Susanne Dyckman, Kelly Everding, Renata Ewing, Amanda Field, Kate Greenstreet, Anne Heide, Brydie MPherson Kuchi, Erica Lewis, Susan Manchester, Linda Norton, Roberta Olson, Megan Pruiett, Lisa Rappoport, Sarah Suzor, and Stacy Szymaszek. For the latter, the sum of the anthology was greater than adding up individual poets’ merits because of the superb editorial direction.

My ethical desire is to read every poem, which means I often randomly grab from a huge TO-READ pile (which includes but is not limited to the review copy list for Galatea Resurrects). I also end up reading a few books for unique reasons--like if my local library stocks a new poetry book, I check it out in order to prove there's demand for poetry...and then inevitably read it before I return it. I also notice that I read Gary Snyder more than my actual interest in him because his books are often at the local public library sales.

Yet again, I avoided reading Ron Silliman whose work I much admire!  All I can say is that I noticed that his To-Be-Read books were all hidden by other piles.  Sometimes, I read just whatever is most convenient to be picked up!  Must redress or at least randomize those piles!

Did I like every book I read on this list? Nope, but that's irrelevant. Even the most banal poem has a place in this wonderland-landscape of Poetry. All poems are welcome to Moi. And contrary to would-be pundits' proclamations, THERE ARE NEVER ENOUGH POEMS.

Here then is the poetic Relished W(h)ine List for 2012, complete with some brief notes on them to the extent I was moved to comment at the time I read them—Moi is also what she reads:


RAMBO GOES TO IDAHO, poems by Scott Abels (one of youse Peeps please review this young—I assume he’s young—man’s debut poetry collection, please. It’s a lot of fun!)

NOTWITHSTANDING SHORING, FLUMMOX, poems by Emily Abendroth

THREE COLUMN TABLE, poems by Harold Abramowitz

MY LOVE IS A DEAD ARCTIC EXPLORER, poems by Paige Ackerson-Kiely

HOMAGE TO ETEL ADNAN, prose homages by Ammiel Alcalay, Jen Benka, David Buuck, Steve Dickison, Thom Donovan, Sharon Doubiago, Simone Fattal, Robert Grenier, Benjamin Hollander, Joanne Kyger, Michael McClure, Stephen Motika, Nancy J. Peters, Csava Polony, Megan Pruiett, Brandon Shimoda, Roger Snell, Cole Swensen, Stacy Szymaszek, Lynne Tillman, Fawwz Traboulski, and Anne Waldman

THE LOST COUNTRY OF SIGHT, poems by Neil Aitken

TONTO’S REVENGE, poems by Adam Aitken

FILAMENT SENSE, poems by William Allegrezza (wonderful, but everything he writes is fabulous)

MATCHING SKIN, poems by Shirlette Ammons

PRINCESS OF THE WORLD IN LOVE, poems by Stan Apps (clever!)

THE DOOR, poems by Margaret Atwood

EVERY DRESS A DECISION, poems by Elizabeth Austen

SCARED TEXT, poems by Eric Baus

THE BUDDHIST, memoir/poetry by Dodie Bellamy (interesting to read right after THE BUDDHIST Rachel Levitsky’s THE STORY OF MY ACCIDENT IS OURS. The coincidence resulted in me wishing there was a little of Levitsky’s in THE BUDDHIST and little more of Bellamy’s in THE STORY …)

NOTES FROM IRRELEVANCE, poems by Anselm Berrigan (a lovely wash of energy)

BODY OF WATER, poems by Erin M. Bertram

THE SILVER BOOK, poems by Jen Bervin (enchanting)

THE WHITE MUSEUM, poems by George Bilgere (better than Billy Collins at writing those Billy Collins poems)

USELYSSES, poems by Noel Black (a lot of fun!)

EUNOIA, poems by Christian Bok (fabuloso!)

QUARRTSILUNI: MUTATING THE SIGNATURE, edited by Dave Bonta and Beth Adams (another stand-out in indie publishing)

HANDIWORK, poems by Amaranth Borsuk (some wonderful lines, wonderful stitches…)

IF NOTHING ELSE, poems by Harold Bowes

OUR LADY OF THE RUINS, poems by Traci Brimhall

ADVICE FOR LOVERS, poems by Julian Talamantez Brolaski (Impressive. Worthy of much attention so, Peeps, pay attention to this book!)

WILLIAM BRONK: BURSTS OF LIGHT: THE COLLECTED LATER POEMS, Ed. by David Clippinger (especially as it’s a “collected,” this book made me so HAPPY! It makes me so happy to see a poet get it right … among other things, it validates a lifetime of poetic struggle, and that’s never easy. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

RUST OR GO MISSING, poems by Lily Brown

NDAKINNA: OUR LAND, poems by Joseph Bruchac

POETS’ GUIDE TO AMERICA, poems by John F. Buckley & Martin Ott

ARDOR: POEMS OF LIFE by Janine Canan (an ecstatic read!)

SYMPHONY NO. 7, poems by Ric Carfagna (simply: magnificent. A feat … I wish I’d written it, I so loved it!)

PART: SHORT LIFE HOUSING, poems by Cris Cheek (well-wrought)

APHORIA, poems by Jackie Clark

THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LUCILLE CLIFTON 1965-2010, Edited by Kevin Young and Michael S. Glaser (have never really paid attention to her work until this volume. And now I’m a fan. Deeply and satisfyingly intellectual. Worthwhile life-poems-life…!)

MINIATURES, poems by Meredith Cole

COLEMAN HAWKINS ORNETTE HAWKINGS, poems by Norma Cole

THE APPLE THAT ASTONISHED PARIS, poems by Billy Collins (this version contained a “new foreword,” which ended up being my favorite part of the book for talking about the period when he was a newbie poet and met people who encouraged him)

THE PRIMORDIAL DENSITY PERTURBATION, poem by Stephen Collis

TRANSCENDENTAL TELEMARKETER, poems by Beth Copeland

THE ARCADIA PROJECT: NORTH AMERICAN POSTMODERN PASTORAL, Edited by Joshua Corey and G.C. Waldrep

GLASS IS REALLY A LIQUID, poems by Bruce Covey

TRANSFEMINISM & LITERATURE, with work from T.L. Cowan, Joy Ladin and Tim Trace Peterson

THRONE by Michael Cross

ANGLES OF INCIDENTS, poems by Jon Curley (a fabulous ear! Truly wonderful!)

EARLIER LIVES, poems by Sara Daile

PLAINT, poems by Richard Darabaner, Edited by Daniel Gabriel (a moving, posthumous collection from a tortured soul)

ABSOLUTE ELSEWHERE, poems by James Davies and photography by Simon Taylor (deceptive. Despite its slim and small chap-iness, has a huge expanse. Admirable)

THE ASIAN AMERICAN LITERARY REVIEW, Spring 2012, Eds. Lawrence-Minh Bui Davis and Gerald Maa

HITLER’S MUSTACHE, poems by Peter Davis (unique)

BURDEN OF SOLACE, poems by Teneice Durrant Delgado

A COINCIDENCE OF WANTS by Michelle Detorie

HERE AND NOW, poems by Stephen Dunn

DIADEM: SELECTED POEMS by Marosa Di Giorgio, Trans. by Adam Giannelli

EYELID LICK, poems by Donald Dunbar (interesting technique)

DRAFT 108: BALLAD AND GLOSS, poems by Rachel Blau DuPlessis

PITCH: DRAFTS 77-95, poems by Rachel Blau DuPlessis

DRAFT 96: VELOCITY, poem by Rachel Blau DuPlessis (fabulous. energetic in rhythm and powerful in content)

LOST BODY, poems by Terry Ehret

YEAR OF REVERSIBLE LOSS, poems-memoir by Norma Farber (stunning. Makes me now go look into her other poems which I’ve never read)

CHELTENHAM, poems by Adam Fieled (music dynamited)

WHEN YOU BIT, poems by Adam Fieled (as ever from this poet, quite stellar)

ELSEPLACE, poems by Laurie Filipelli

MAYBE A PAINTER, poems by Christina Fisher (nice social-ness)

WHEN WE EXPECT TO SEE YOU SOON, poems by Michael Ford

SHEER INDEFINITE: SELECTED POEMS 1991-2011 by Skip Fox (fabulous)

LIKE THE PIECES OF DRIFTWOOD, poems by Jon Francis

FABRIC, poems by Richard Froude (wow. a BIG discovery of a profound writer. Brilliant poet)

HAVE, poems by Marc Gaba (the attention to the poetic line is so evident and well-wrought it became inspirational enough to warrant a Galatea Resurrects review)

SHE RETURNS TO THE FLOATING WORLD, poems by Jeannine Hall Gailey (charmed)

YOUR INVITATION TO A MODEST BREAKFAST, poems by Hannah Gamble

RUSSIA IN 17 OBJECTS, poems by Julie Gard

From IDYLLS & RUSHES, poems by Susana Gardner (enchanting. Feyness with a steel spine)

HAIKU AND TANKA HARVEST by Victor P. Gendrano

ABC TO ENLIGHTENMENT: GUIDEPOSTS IN OUR LIFE’S JOURNEY, advice by Victor P. Gendrano

THE ALTERATION OF SILENCE: RECENT CHILEAN POETRY (La alteración del silencio: Poesía chilena reciente), bilingual poetry of poems translated from Spanish to English, edited by Galo Ghigliotto and William Allegrezza (a total FEAST! See above blurb)

SAPPHIC SONGS: SEVENTEEN TO SEVENTY, poems by Elsa Gidlow

NEWCOMER CAN’T SWIM, poems by Renee Gladman

MAJAKOVSKIJ EN TRAGEDY by Johannes Goransson

SANCTA, book-length poem by Andrew Grace

CALLED FOR YOU, poems by Kate Greenstreet

AUFGABE #11, literary journal edited by E. Tracy Grinnell, Julian T. Brolawski and erica kaufman which includes a usefully educational section on Salvadoran poetry edited by guest editor Christian Nagler

MESSAGES: POEMS & INTERVIEW by Piotr Gwiazda

SEASONS AT EAGLE POND, essays/memoir by Donald Hall

THE BODY DOUBLE: A LONG POEM by Jared Harel

CRAZY BRAVE, memoir by Joy Harjo (a poet’s memoir indeed)

SLEEPS WITH KNIVES, poems by Laramie Harlow

DIORAMA OF A PEOPLE BURNING, poems by Bradley Harrison

THE APPLE TREES AT OLEMA: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS by Robert Hass (While I’ve intellectually understood Hass’ earlier collections to be achievements, I never got into his poems until the newer poems in this book, which is a bow to his poetic prowess because I don’t think he could have so masterfully pulled off those poems without having learned much from living and writing poems over the years—this is one example of why I so like reading Selecteds and Collecteds, because these types of books show me something about the poet’s macro versus the micros of individual smaller collections or poems.)

LAND OF CIRCLE: WRITINGS COLLECTED FROM THE LAND, poetry and prose by Linda M. Hasselstrom

WE CUM ::: COME IN THE YIELD FIELDS AMONGST STATUES WITH INTERIOR ARMS, poems by j/j hastain (consistently fabulous in making fresh the love and/or erotic poem)

SYMPTOTIC LOVER // THERMODYNAMIC VENTS, poems by j/j hastain

LONG PAST THE PRESENCE OF COMMON, poems by j/j/ hastain

QUEER PHYLACTERY, poems by j/j hastain

NEW FORMS AND MEDITATIONS FOR THE PRESSURIZED LIBERTINE MONK, poems by j/j hastain

FIFTEEN POEMS by Bobbie Louise Hawkins

BANDIT, poems by Jared Hayes

SEDNA, poems by Michael Helsem (deceptively lyrical. At times, funny)

VERSE. Vol. 27, Nos. 2 & 3 (2012), poetry journal co-edited by Brian Henry and Andrew Zawacki (includes John Olson and reading his poems in this issue just reminds me of how so many try to write as he does and only end up being poetasters relative to Olson’s mastery. I adore the opening paragraph to one poem, “Diamonds” for beginning with the sentence “I don’t think much of diamonds” only to end with “This is why I wear binoculars, and enjoy riding in elevators.” So much happens between those two sentences and they sing even as they grin.)

EVERYONE HAS A MOUTH, poems by Ernst Herbeck

LAST EDITED [INSERT TIME HERE], poems byYa-Wen Ho

ROUNDING THE HUMAN CORNERS, poems by Linda Hogan (a rewarding read)

ENGINE FOR EMPIRE, poems by Cathy Park Hong

LANGSTON HUGHES, NANCY CUNARD & LOUSIE THOMPSON: POETRY, POLITICS & FRIENDSHIP IN THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR, correspondence and poetry edited by Anne Donlon

MATERIAL GIRL, poems by Laura Jaramillo

SECRET WEAPON: SELECTED LATE POEMS by Eugen Jebeleanu, Trans. by Matthew Zapruder and Radu Ioanid

REBIRTH OF WONDER: POEMS OF THE COMMON LIFE by David M. Johnson (first book of poetry read in 2012)

PERSPECTIVES ON A GRAFTED TREE: THOUGHTS FOR THOSE TOUCHED BY ADOPTION, poetry anthology edited by Patricia Irwin Johnston

HALF-LIVES, poems by Erica Jong

GEMOLOGY, poems by Megan Kaminski (gems indeed!)

HUMANIMAL, multi-genre meditative text by Bhanu Kapil

VISION OF THE RETURN, poems by Amin Khan, Translated by Dawn-Michelle Baude

THE READER, conceptual poetry by Marton Koppany (actually, I thought of Rubinstein when I read this slim, appealing chap. Also brilliant!)

MODULATIONS, visual conceptual poetry by Marton Koppany (Marton is truly one of my favorite poets. Because his output always enchants!)

THE GULAG ARKIPELAGO by Sean Labrador y Manzano (admirable energy!)

I, THE WORST OF ALL, poems by Estela Lamat, Trans. by Michael Leong (magnificent!)

BONE BOUQUET, Vol. 3, Issue 2, poetry journal curated by Krystal Languell, Elizabeth Brasher, and Allison Layfield

PLAGIARIST, poems by Pamela L. Laskin

THUNDERBIRD, poems by Dorothea Lasky

THE COUNTRY ROAD, poems by James Laughlin (there are many moments of pleasure in this collection—a type of pleasure specifically afforded by age’s wisdom)

PHYLLA OF JOY, poems by Karen An-Hwei Lee

CUTTING TIME WITH A KNIFE, poems by Michael Leong (cheerfully imaginative!)

WORDS ON EDGE, poems by Michael Leong (a consistently intelligent poetic presence)

GREEN IS FOR WORLD, poems by Juliana Leslie

THE STORY OF MY ACCIDENT IS OURS, novella by Rachel Levitsky (interesting to read this right after THE BUDDHIST by Dodie Bellamy. The coincidence resulted in me wishing there was a little of Levitsky’s in THE BUDDHIST and little more of Bellamy’s in THE STORY …)

SEVEN CONTROLLED VOCABULARIES AND OBITUARY 2004. THE JOY OF COOKING (AIRPORT NOVEL MUSICAL POEM PAINTING THEORY FILM PHOTO HALLUCINATION LANDSCAPE], poetry by Tan Lin (love how Tan Lin’s works make moi slow-think)

ON POEMS ON, poems by Sandra Liu

AS IF IT FELL FROM THE SUN: AN ETHERDOME ANTHOLOGY: TEN YEARS OF WOMEN’S WRITING, Edited by Colleen Lookingbill & Elizabeth Robinson, featuring Merle Bachman, Faith Barrett, Margaret Butterfield, Erica Carpenter, Valerie Coulton, Caroline Crumpacker, Susanne Dyckman, Kelly Everding, REnata Ewing, Amanda Field, Kate Greenstreet, Anne Heide, Brydie MPherson Kuchi, Erica Lewis, Susan Manchester, Linda Norton, Roberta Olson, Megan Pruiett, Lisa Rappoport, Sarah Suzor, and Stacy Szymaszek (I can’t say enough great things about this anthology. It is intense, gorgeous, moving, smart, …. ABSOLUTELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)

DARWIN, prose poem by Tony Lopez

OBSERVE THE LARK, poems by Katie Louchheim

TRISM, poems by Rebecca Loudon (high energy!)

OLD WAYS TO FOLD NEW PAPER, poems by Leza Lowitz (fabulous, especially as a debut collection)

SOME MATH, poems by Bill Luoma (the funniest “sound poems” I’ve ever experienced. Like, from “The Concept of Math”: A waffle lives in the universe / like your ass in juicy velour. / What determines your ass you ask? / The construction of the bevatron in Berkeley. Or, from “Some Math”: The naughties of quaranta / of the tenera of rapit2a / of his vostra Zed il donkey / the one of localizzo of riflessione I gave convolusis / I gave them a cut of the dulie.)

THE PRACTICE OF RESIDUE, poems by Kimberly Lyons

PARTYKNIFE, poems by Dan Magers (rollickin’ energy!)

SLOT, poems by Jill Magi

SAY SO, poems by Dora Malech (includes the poem “The Station” which is so clever and emotional that I know it’ll be one of my most pleasurable poem-reads this year!)

CUPCAKE ROYALE, poems by Sarah Mangold (Sarah always has such a pleasingly deft touch)

THE STEEL VEIL, poems by Jack Marshall

CITY, poems by C.J. Martin (brief chap, but highly effective!)

ENOUGH, poems by Chris Martin

RE-, poems by Kristi Maxwell

CLOUD COMPUTING, poems by Josh May

SILVER, poems by Jason McCall (a pleasing debut)

NOT NOT, poems by jim mccrary (as ever, quite raucous!)

RE VEILED (A TAPADAS TALE), poems by jim mccrary (luminous)

CLAY FEET / WIRE WINGS, poems by John N. McDowell (wonderful!)

CEMETERY CHESS: SELECTED AND NEW POEMS by Sandy McIntosh (Sandy is one of those poets who deserve more attention—I don’t really know of anyone doing the combo of surrealism and humor that he does, and does so deftly. Nor am I biased simply because he has poems here dedicated to my husband and my dogs as well as another poem entitled “Eileen R. Tabios”….read him, Peeps: he’s worth the attention!)

YELLOW FIELD 6, poetry and arts journal curated by Edric Mesmer (stand-out in indie publishing)

YELLOW FIELD, October 2012, literary/arts journal curated by Edric Mesmer (a stellar effort!)

YELLOW FIELD (September 2011), Curated by Edric Mesmer (fabulous—especially the essay by Rachel Blau DuPlessis about Robert Creeley helping her off the stage during an H.D. conference versus Allen Ginsberg’s boorish “Get on with it…!”)

PRIMER FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS, poems by Philip Metres (absolutely stunning. Stunningly stunned.)

THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF MY PAST SORROW, poems by Jesse Millner

AFTER URGENCY, poems by Rusty Morrison (persuasive!)

ALL STEEL, poems by Lori Anderson Moseman

AN INVOCATION FOR NEW WINTER IN THE YEAR TWENTY-THIRTEEN, poem viz card-broadside by Sheila E. Murphy (lovely annual)

ENIGMA AND LIGHT, poems by David Mutschlecner

BOOK OF CHANGES, poems by Paul Naylor

INFINITE VARIATIONS, poems by Marci Nelligan (the rubbing together of the Origin of the Species with the Old Testament is certainly a worthy concept)

DISPATCH, collaborative poems by Marci Nelligan and Nicole Mauro (excellent!)

HOMEMADE POEMS by Lorine Niedecker (charming, particularly as reproduced handwritten chap originally made by poet for Cid Corman)

AS LONG AS TREES LAST, poems by Hoa Nguyen (long admired the tensility of her poems. She makes it look easy, this making of poems as flexible steel)

TRANSFER, poems by Naomi Shihab Nye

SARD, poems by Philip Byron Oakes (a cool book!)

CATCH LIGHT by Sarah O’Brien (lucid, luminous, wise, gorgeous….)

LARYNX GALAXY, poems by John Olson (so multi-layered and multi-referential in a loose way so that disjunction always maintains an inherent harmony. Arguably my favorite 2012 poetry read)

CLOUDFANG :: CAKEDIRT by Daniela Olszewska (deeply satisfying read)

NEW & SELECTED POEMS by Ron Padgett (I’m late to the party—but with this book, I officially become a Ron Padgett fan. This is the 1995 book published by Godine)

SILVER ROOF TANTRUM, poems by Naomi Buck Palagi

PERSONATIONSKIN, poems by Karl Parker (admirably expansive)

POEMS 1955-1959 AND AN ESSAY IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Boris Pasternak

MIGRITUDE, poetry and performance texts by Shailja Patel (Leny, I can see why and appreciate how you related this to moi BRICK! Wonderful project, and superbly edited by someone whose name always comes up swiftly in moi mind when I think of editors with integrity: Sunyoung Lee of Kaya)

BLACK BIRDS : BLUE HORSE, poems by Natalie Peeterse

HOOFS, poems by Holly Pester (love its energy!)

GOAT IN THE SNOW, poems by Emily Pettit

DRIVING MONTANA, ALONE, poems by Katie Phillips (what a wonderful project! Yes, the poems are nicely done but the publication of it is fabulous as the poems are interspersed with nice black-and-white photos)

SILENT PICTURES RECOGNIZE THE WORLD, poems by Wanda Phipps

THE GIRLS OF PECULIAR, poems by Catherine Pierce

THE MOON IS ALWAYS FEMALE, poems by Marge Piercy

DIVINE MADNESS, poems by Paul Pines (my favorite so far of his books. Wonderful poems and poetics!)

LEARNING TO DRIVE, essays by Katha Pollitt

100 POEMS by SS Prasad (sufficiently mischievous to keep one’s interest)

EDOM, poems by Christopher William Purdom

BANANA MAGNET, poems by Christopher William Purdom

COMMON TIME, poems by Chris Pusateri (fabulous, deeply engaging, absurdly intelligent and enchantingly witty—which is why it just became the third title I’m reviewing for the next issue of Galatea Resurrects!)

IN WAYS IMPOSSIBLE TO FOLD, poems by Michael Rerick (sharp and smart)

PLAIN SPEAK / SWEET SPEAK, poems by G. Emil Reutter and Phil Premeau (interesting concept)

FOR THE CITY THAT NEARLY BROKE ME, poems by Barbara Jane Reyes (ya know: I think someone should review—compare—this book with Maged Zaher’s THE REVOLUTION HAPPENED AND YOU DIDN’T CALL ME)

LOVE POEMS by Rene Ricard with drawings by Robert Hawkins

CHINOISERIE, poems by Karen Rigby (lovely lovelies. Indeed, the language can get rhapsodically luscious and/or delicious)

PUTI/WHITE, poems by Patria Rivera

BONESHEPHERDS, poems by Patrick Rosal (ay! Ket nagsayaat met daytoy nga Ilocano!)

THIRTY-FIVE NEW PAGES, conceptual poetry by Lev Rubinstein, Trans. by Philip Metres and Tatiana Tulchinsky (note-card poems by one of the founders of Moscow Conceptualism—simply: brilliant!)

MADNESS, RACK, AND HONEY: COLLECTED LECTURES by Mary Ruefle (wonderfully surprising)

KEY BRIDGE, poems by Ken Rumble

ON THE TRACKS OF WILD GAME, poems by Tomaz Salamun, Trans. by Sonja Kravanja (So intelligent. So sly. Intriguing and fabulous read)

JOURNAL OF A SOLITUDE by May Sarton (another re-read as it never fails to satisfy)

THE PINK, poems by Jared Schickling (challenging, then rewarding)

MEMORY CARDS by Susan M. Schultz (fabulously wide-ranging in scope, despite diminutive size)

THE SOFT PLACE, poems by Kate Schapira (lovely)

HERE IS A MINI-PARADE, poems by Kate Schapira and Daniela Olszewska

FROM THE SOFT PLACE/THINGS TO DO IN PERSONFORM, poetry broadside by Kate Schapira and Daniela Olszewska

A VOICE HEARS YOU FROM MYSTERIOUS PLACES, audio-video CD collaboration of poems, visual art and sound by Barry Schwabsky (voice and poems, except for one translation of a Paul Eluard poem) and Marianne Nowottny (gorgeous, lyrical, evocative!) With a very on-point introduction by Kenneth Goldsmith!

SELECTED POEMS by Harvey Shapiro

EARTHQUAKE CAME TO HARLEM, poems by Jackie Sheeler

ROUGH, AND SAVAGE, poems by Sun Yung Shin

MAY APPLE DEEP, poems by Michael Sikkema (fabulous po-mo pastoral. Philosophical music)

MOTHER WAS A TRAGIC GIRL, poems by Sandra Simonds

THE WHITE CALF KICKS, poems by Deborah Slicer

BLOOD DAZZLER, poems by Patricia Smith (Magnificent. With this book, I am made a fan of Patricia Smith—finally, I get all the accolades I keep hearing about her…and I am happy to get it!)

DUENDE, poems by Tracy K. Smith

LIFE ON MARS, poems by Tracy K. Smith (interesting to contrast it with her prior book DUENDE. While these are two good books, LIFE ON MARS contains more … duende…)

REGARDING WAVE, poems by Gary Snyder

TURTLE ISLAND, poems with prose by Gary Snyder

GUESTBOOK, poems by Rick Snyder

WELL THEN THERE NOW, poems and poetics by Juliana Spahr

20 LOVE POEMS FOR 10 MONTHS by Mary Austin Speaker

PLURAL, poems by Christopher Stackhouse (liked it enough to blurb it!)

LAGNIAPPE, poems by Jill Stengel (a feat and a feast!)

THE WRITER ON HER WORK, VOLUME 1, (essays by Anne Tyler, Joan Didion, Mary Gordon, Nancy Milford, Honor Moore, Michele Murray, Margaret Walker, Susan Griffin, Alice Walker, Ingrid Bengis, Toni Cade Bambara, Erica Jong, Maxine Hong Kingston, Janet Burroway, Muriel Rukeyser and Gail Godwin) Edited by Janet Sternburg

THE HUDSON LINE, poems by Margo Taft Stever

STELE, poems by Cole Swensen

HYPERGLOSSIA, poems by Stacy Szymaszek

5 SHADES OF GRAY by Eileen R. Tabios

the relational elations of ORPHANED ALGEBRA by Eileen R. Tabios and j/j hastain

MAO’S PEARS, poem by Kenny Tanemura (witty, amusing…just well done!)

APART, poetry/non-fiction by Catherine Taylor

PLEASURE, poems by Brian Teare

THE IMPORTANT THING IS … CARD GAME, poetry card game by Marjorie Tesser

PALM TO PINE, poems by Sunnylyn Thibodeaux (such a good read with nice, intimate feel!)

KATE & SONIA (IN THE MONTHS BEFORE OUR SECOND DAUGHTER’S BIRTH), poems by Dan Thomas-Glass (a moving and pleasurable read)

EVERY POSSIBLE BLUE, poems by Matthew Thorburn

MR. MAGOO, poems by Steve Tills (more admirable energy!)

POST MAIDEN, poems by Steve Tills (adept and engaging!)

ON A PLANET WITHOUT VISA: SELECTED POETRY AND OTHER WRITINGS, AD 1960-2012 by Sotere Torregian (admirable life-source/energy!)

DECK OF DEEDS, poems by Rodrigo Toscano (smart)

THE GREAT ENIGMA: NEW COLLECTED POEMS by Tomas Transtromer, Trans. by Robin Fulton

NATURAL HISTORIES, poems by Leslie Ullman

ARCO IRIS, poems by Sarah Vap

PUERTO RICO, poems by Alejandro Ventura (interesting to see how the interest in visual art enlivens the theme—of course I empathize with this approach)

OBEDIENCE, poems by Chris Vitiello

NERVOUS DEVICE, poems by Catherine Wagner

THE REAL SUBJECT: QUERIES AND CONJECTURES OF JACOB DELAFON WITH SAMPLE POEMS by Keith Waldrop (fabulous & brilliant)

IT CAN BE SOLVED BY WALKING, poems and photographs by Jennifer Wallace (a lotta love in these lyrics. Appreciated the Author’s Note which revealed how the poem takes over the poet)

HOUSE ORGAN, No. 81, Winter 2013, literary journal edited by Kenneth Warren (brilliant!)

HOUSE ORGAN, No. 80 Fall 2012, Edited by Kenneth Warren (so much great stuff!)

HOUSE ORGAN No. 79, literary journal edited by Kenneth Warren (ditto: another stand-out in indie publishing)

HOUSE ORGAN, No. 78 Spring 2012, literary zine edited by Kenneth Warren (always a satisfying feast)

ONE SLEEPS THE OTHER DOESN’T, poems by Jacqueline Waters (a pleasurable reading)

RING OF BONE: LEW WELCH COLLECTED POEMS, Editor Donald Allen (it was most useful to me when I also considered the poems to have been poetics required to create what, for me, was a perfect poem in the book – the title poem “Ring of Bone”. Also was encouraged by this to begin what will be a new poetry manuscript, J. The whole thing about Welch’s “language is speech” was a push; as regards “J”, there is so much I’ve long wanted to say but … had not. So, as ever, Poetry begins as in Poetry verbs action.)

“THE SEA UNDER THE HOUSE” THE SELECTED CORRESPONDENCE OF JOHN WIENERS AND CHARLES OLSON, PART I, correspondence and poetry edited by Michael Seth Stewart

“THE SEA UNDER THE HOUSE” THE SELECTED CORRESPONDENCE OF JOHN WIENERS AND CHARLES OLSON, PART II, correspondence and poetry edited by Michael Seth Stewart

A MARZIPAN FACTORY by Grzegorz Wroblewski, Trans. from the Polish by Adam Zdrodowski (glad to have this book out there)

BENDING AT THE ELBOW, poems by Matvei Yankelevich (fabulous. so compelling I ended up reviewing it for Galatea Resurrects)

FURTHER ADVENTURES IN MONOCHROME by John Yau (gold, deeply mined)

THE ORACULAR SONNETS, poems by Mark Young and Jukka-Pekka Kervinen (re-read this since I first published it years ago, and it is still WONDERFUL!)

15 CHINESE SILENCES, poems by Timothy Yu (Billy Collins should read this…)

THE REVOLUTION HAPPENED AND YOU DIDN'T CALL ME by Maged Zaher (ya know: I think someone should review—compare—this book with Barbara Jane Reyes’ chap FOR THE CITY THAT NEARLY BROKE ME)

THE SWORDFISH TOOTH, poems by Cynthia Zarin

TRAVELING IN REFLECTED LIGHT, poems by Andrena Zawinski

THE GREAT AMERICAN POETRY SHOW, Vol. 1, anthology edited by Larry Ziman. Madeline Sharples, Nicky Schlitz

THE GREAT AMERICAN POETRY SHOW, Vol. 2, anthology edited by Larry Ziman. Madeline Sharples, Nicky Schlitz

WEATHER IS WHETHER, poems by Harriet Zinnes

EATING IN THE UNDERWORLD, poems by Rachel Zucker (I don’t know why it took me so long to find this 2003 book, which is to say it deserves more attention. Nor do I know why it took so long for someone to reimagine the myth of Demeter, Persephone and Hades into a more fulsome reality. Stellar.)