Buying Guide – Poetry in 2011

List of 2011 Books that Make Great Holiday Gifts:

It’s always tough putting together a good shopping list for the year’s books – so many good books to remember, it seems, come out every year! And remember to ask Santa for a subscription to your favorite literary magazine – I recommend a smaller magazine, such as Crab Creek Review, 32 Poems, or another independently funded journal.

Lucky Fish by Aimee Nezhukumatathil – Likable, funny narrators and subtle wordplay make Aimee’s book a standout.

The Book of Men by Dorianne Laux – I think this exploration of Dorianne’s interest in the male of the species – and her new nods to pop culture, like “Superman” and “Cher” – make this Dorianne’s most interesting collection yet!

And Yet They Were Happy by Helen Philips – Though this isn’t technically poetry – more like little flash fictions collected into a sort of hip, experimental novel – the voice here is heartbreaking, moving, funny…everything I want my poetry books to be! You won’t be sorry you read it.

A New Red by Lana Ayers – New spin on an old tail/tale here – (ok, couldn’t resist the joke) – Lana’s passionate, sharp voices will haunt you.

Hide Behind Me – Jason Mott – Superheroes with a twist in this moving collection about the heroism of the every day.

I Stand Here Shredding Documents – Kristin Berkey Abbott – http://www.amazon.com/I-Stand-Here-Shredding-Documents/dp/1599247534/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322609589&sr=8-1-fkmr1 – I have to say, I love a good poem about work, especially by women. This manuscript delves into the spirit and the workaday world with intuition and heart.

Elizabeth Austen’s Every Dress a Decision – Humorous poems about relationships with men are balanced with some sharp reveries on family.

Joannie Stangeland’s Into the Rumoured Spring – Well, I haven’t read this one yet, but generally Joannie’s meditations of nature, the spirit, and life are gentle reminders to celebrate the moment.

Martha Silano’s The Little Office of the Immaculate Conception – Martha is a clever wordplay artist, and her poems on motherhood are immediately relatable and thoughtful. Not to mention science poems, my favorite!

Amanda Auchter’s The Glass Crib – Moving poems on the nature of family and the body.

Maya Zellar’s Rust Fish – Full of affectionate portraits of her Northwest home, Zellar portrays a working-class youth with warm realism.

The Poetry Gymnasium: 94 Poetry Exercises – Tom C. Hunley – Which poet – whether they teach or not – hasn’t needed more poetry exercises, with convenient examples right there?

Books I’ve reviewed and recommend:

Dana Levin’s Sky Burial – http://therumpus.net/2011/03/you-may-say-fist-you-may-say-teeth/

Brian Spears’ A Witness in Exile – (forthcoming)

Steve Fellner’s The Weary World Rejoices – (forthcoming)

Christine Deavel’s Woodnote – http://therumpus.net/2011/10/a-mark-of-the-naive/

Erika Meitner’s Makeshift Instructions for Beautiful Girls – http://www.barnowlreview.com/reviews/meitner%20deux.html

For your future self: Check out books coming out in 2012 by Kathleen Flenniken and Annette Spaulding-Convey. Terrific, clever, moving…I’ve read early versions of these manuscripts and loved them!! And of course, Eduardo Corral’s Yale Younger Poets winner. (I remember reading his MS…mmm…maybe eight years ago (?) and loving it. Eight years of work did not make the manuscript weaker.) Automatically going on my “to teach” list of books.

For my future self: I would love a publisher to swoop up manuscripts by a few excellent poets – namely, Natasha K. Moni, Jeff Walt, and Karen Weyant. Are you listening, publishers? Seriously, these are some great manuscripts!

And finally, my inevitable plea, because one of my favorite holiday activities is watching my Amazon ranks (just kidding): for the comic book loving teen or college student, Becoming the Villainess; for the woman in transition, J-pop lover or folk-tale fanatic, She Returns to the Floating World. A lovely holiday gift for me? A nice review on Amazon or Goodreads!