Good, Better, Best

Some good September news: on the 28th, Scribner publishes The Best American Poetry 2021. Former poet laureate Tracy K. Smith is the guest editor, with David Lehman maintaining his role of series editor. It's a favorite series of mine; I always "discover" someone whose work I want to read more of. If you are naturally inclined to snoop (not that I am, of course), you can read the table of contents via Amazon's "look inside" feature, and see that the book includes work by Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Natalie Diaz, Evie Shockley, Major Jackson, among others. Titles that have me intrigued are "The End of Poetry" (Ada Limón), "What Is There to Do in Akron, Ohio?" (Darius Simpson), "Ode to the Boy Who Jumped Me" (Monica Sok), and "love poem that ends at popeyes" (Destiny O. Birdsong). Speaking of Ada Limón, The Slowdown podcast announced that she is taking over the host duties—from Tracy K. Smith, no less.

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The Poetry Friday roundup is at The Miss Rumphius Effect on September 10th.

Photo by ST. Mural at the Harlem branch of Spring Bank, Frederick Douglass Blvd. and West 111th Street, NYC .

Comments

[jama]

Thanks for the heads up, Susan. I'll add this one to my Wish List!!

[Susan T.]

You're welcome, Jama. I'm putting it on mine, too! Several of these poets were interviewed on the Poetry Foundation's VS podcast, and their episodes are so worth seeking out. I've heard Destiny O. Birdsong, Monica Sok, and Evie Shockley there. All very interesting!

[janice scully]

Thanks for the info about the poetry collection. I ordered it. Looking forward to reading it.

[Denise Krebs]

Thank you, Susan, for the poetry news. I subscribed to The Slowdown.

[Susan T.]

Janice, you're so welcome. I am really looking forward to this release.

Denise, my pleasure. After reading a lot of poetry during August, I am ready to keep High Poetry Season rolling!

[Jone MacCulloch]

Looking forward to this collection.

[Susan T.]

I am, too, Jone. Ever since I heard Destiny O. Birdsong and several others on VS, I've wanted to read her work.

[Elisabeth]

Thanks for highlighting this book and the podcast for us today.

[Mary Lee]

You should get a commission for all the copies of the book you've sold! And I can't tell you how excited I was that The Slowdown is coming back!

Thank for your peeks into NYC neighborhoods. That's a dear mural, with the hope for the future generation...and a monarch, too!

[Catherine Flynn]

I love all The Best of ... books. My local indie always displays them together in a special rack. I'll be sure to look for this one!

[Susan T.]

Elisabeth, Mary Lee, and Catherine, thank you all for stopping by! The mural reminded me a lot of Tricia's Miss Rumphius, who nurtured her neighborhood, too.

[Ruth]

I saw that about the Slowdown! I was pretty excited.

[Susan T.]

Ruth, I just went and checked to make sure I was still subscribed. I loved Ada Limón's most recent book, "The Carrying."