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"Unlike novelists and bad-boy memoirists, emerging poets
are unlikely to sprawl on Oprah's couch, date starlets, or rouse
bidding wars. With an alert ear for new voices, this anthology
offers a different kind of validation: that of being well heard.
The result is a vibrant smorgasbord. . . . [Best New Poets]
bears evidence of the insistent inquiries of self and the world
that drive poetry." "[One] comes to realize that the adjectives 'new' and 'emerging'
are mere technicalities in this instance. Although none of the
poets included here have published a full-length book of poetry,
many are MFA students or graduates, and chapbook authors, and
most have already seen some of their poems published in the most
renowned and exclusive journals in North America. . . . The result
is a remarkably diverse mix of poems." "[Best New Poets] assures the reader that poetry,
even in a generation of text messaging and MP3 players, is still
alive and well. The youthfulness of the anthology, combined with
the wide scope of its contents, is apparent in the poems, which
are edgy and daring. Emerging, whether intentionally or not, as
a younger sibling to the Best American Poetry anthologies,
this series breaks new ground and provides fresh treasures." "It's a nervy thing for an anthology to label itself Best
New Poets, but once again this collection lives up to its
name. It's a rich and readable selection, reflecting no party-line
aesthetic, and attesting to the formidable promise of the emerging
generation." In just three years Best New Poets has established itself as a crucial venue for rising poets and a valuable resource for poetry lovers. The only publication of its kind, this annual anthology is made up exclusively of work by writers who have not yet published a full-length book. The poems included in this eclectic sampling represent the best from the many that have been nominated by the country's top literary magazines and writing programs, as well as some two thousand additional poems submitted through an open online competition. The work of the fifty writers represented here provides the best perspective available on the continuing vitality of poetry as it's being practiced today. Visit the official Best New Poets web site. Natasha Trethewey is Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Emory University. Her most recent book, Native Guard, received the Pultizer Prize. Her work has appeared in American Poetry Review, Kenyon Review, and Best American Poetry, and has been honored with the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and the Lillian Smith Award for Poetry. |
The University of
Virginia Press