A Suit or a Suitcase: Poems

by Maggie Smith

Instant New York Times bestselling author and poet Maggie Smith returns with a new collection of poems on the sometimes-blurry distinction between mind and body, and how the self shifts and moves through time and space.

The title of Maggie Smith’s new collection comes from the eponymous

You ask what I’ll miss about this life.
Everything but cruelty, I think.
But you want one specific thing,
so here—I’ll miss my body. I’ll miss
its companionship, how it’s traveled
with me, never leaving me—& by me,
I mean my mind.
my body hasn’t traveled with me.
I’ve traveled inside it.
Do I wear it, or does it carry me?
Is the body a suit, or a suitcase?

Within, poems turn over the strange relationships between the body and the mind, the self and the world. With her signature tenderness and clarity of observation, and with stunning swoops of imagination, Smith considers—and reconsiders—what it is to be Does one life matter in the grand scheme of space and time? How can it be that we are the same people we were ten, twenty, or thirty years ago, but also different people? And could there be more to life, just beyond the borders of we can experience?

Each poem is an ode to the power of our minds, and proof that both a life and a self, whether within a suit or a suitcase, is infinitely expandable.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Adult

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 2026

About the author

Maggie Smith is the author of the national bestseller Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change (One Signal/Simon & Schuster 2020); Good Bones (Tupelo Press, 2017); The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison (Tupelo Press 2015), winner of the Dorset Prize, selected by Kimiko Hahn; and Lamp of the Body (Red Hen Press 2005), winner of the Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award; and three prizewinning chapbooks.

Smith's poems and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Poetry, Image, The Best American Poetry, The Paris Review, AGNI, Guernica, Brevity, the Washington Post, The Gettysburg Review, Ploughshares, and many other journals and anthologies. In 2016 her poem “Good Bones” went viral internationally and has been translated into nearly a dozen languages. In April 2017 the poem was featured on the CBS primetime drama Madam Secretary.

A 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, Maggie Smith works as freelance writer and editor. She is an Editor at Large at the Kenyon Review and is also on the faculty of Spalding University's low-residency MFA program.

Reviews

[TheConnieFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an incredible collection of poems by Maggie Smith! They are very thought provoking and emotional. These poems are beautifully written and unique. They deal with the body, mind, memory and identity. This book of poetry is under 200 pages long and I found them to be easy to read and understood. While I think they are all brilliant, my favorite one was “A Suit or a Suitcase”. The literally tropes and themes were fantastic! I think readers who love reading poems that are powerful and emotional would really enjoy this book! I rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Maggie Smith and Atria Books | Washington Square Press for this digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on March 24, 2026!

[Mai H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of poems. As always, some resonated more than others. My favorite was the titular poem.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Washington Square Press

[Sam’s Sapphic Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a collection of poems. I actually read most of them more than once because they were just incredible. The mind, the body, the memories we look back on.

These poems really resinated with me, the type of thoughts that come late at night, when there’s no noise to disturb your feel thoughts.

It makes you wonder, what is life? The decisions we make, the lives we live, does it truly matter in the grand scheme of things? We look back at our memories and reminisce on the past. What about the future? What about at the end of everything?

Maggie Smith created a wonderful, mind-opening collection.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

[Laur · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique collection of thought-provoking poetry that enhances and encourages reflection and exploration of one’s own mind and body.

My thanks to NetGalley, Maggie Smith, and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
4 Stars.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to synthesize how much I loved this collection into a review that doesn't gush too much and honestly I'm throwing in the towel at this point. Here are the main points:

This collection is SO GOOD.

I got goosebumps in the middle of a Florida summer while reading these.

I love how Maggie Smith loves Columbus, and her children, and how she's able to find magic in the mundane.

I will return to these poems again and again.

-Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication. What a gift!

[Renee Godding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve only given out a handful of 5-star ratings to collections of poetry or short stories. Usually there are some parts of the collection that I enjoy, but others that don’t, which leads to a sort of “middling out” of the rating.
Maggie Smith - for the second time now - is one of those rare exceptions. Her poetry on body ánd loss resonates with me in a way that few contemporary poets can match, and this collection might be my favourite work of hers to date.
I will happily shelve this besides her previous collection Goldenrod, among my favourite pieces of poetry.

[Nicoleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

received ARC from Goodreads giveaway. excellent collection, I love her work.

[Lychee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly cannot get over how gorgeous this book cover is. Definitely a huge deciding factor in me requesting.
I don’t know how to rate poetry, so instead, here’s a few of my favorites:
- The Score
- Vision (only bc I am reading this on my phone in the dark in bed when I should be sleeping and I too open and close each eye to watch my vision shift back and forth)
- Self portraits as an incomplete list of mysteries
- Three thoughts after crossing nameless creek

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC

[Richelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Smith’s upcoming collection of poems serves as both a continuation of her fine work for those who are already fans, and an excellent starting point for new readers who want to delve into her work.

This collection revolves around the mind and body - how they influence one another, and how one’s sense of self can change over a lifetime. How does the passage of time shape our memories and how we create meaning? How do we experience others and how do others experience who we are? Smith’s poems focus on those questions in beautifully rendered vignettes of ordinary actions. But there was a bold rawness to these poems that I feel is missing from her earlier work. These poems feel braver, more willing to make a statement.

I didn’t like this collection as much as Goldenrod but it’s still a solid 4.5 stars. “Beside Myself,” “The Before Picture,” and the title poem were my favorites in this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[ColleenSC (colleenallbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for a free ARC. When I saw that Maggie Smith had a new poetry book coming out, I knew I had to read it. I devoured it in one sitting. I loved it. I connect so much to her reflections on the self as we grow older. I especially to connect to her depictions of motherhood. There are certain books that you just immediately want to share with your friends because the ideas are just so perfectly expressed and relatable. That’s how I feel about this one.

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another lovely poetry collection from Maggie Smith! She's given us five sections, each named after a type of art work that is full of self reflection (detail, study, self-portrait, triptych, installation) and ponders the nuance of our day to day existence, usually in relation to nature/cycles.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Dr. Amanda]

My favorite poems in this collection were “Time-Stamped” and “Self Portrait as an Incomplete List of Mysteries”. Not rating because I don’t know how to rate poetry.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Smith has such a beautiful way of sharing feelings and scenes that seem so specific and yet are universal. I love the way she sees the world and these poems felt plucked from my own heart.

This collection explores the connection between mind and body, and the different versions of a person throughout the eras of a life. It's reflective and contemplative, and makes you ruminate on the meaning of the life we're leading, in this moment and the next, and then whatever might come after.

My favourite poem was Time-Stamped:

Time-Stamped

There is a revision of me that lives
in the future, watching me from the future,

which makes me a prototype,
an earlier version, the one she thinks of now.

She looks back at me and at the life
I live in the house she must think of

as 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, and at my children—
her children-still lap-small

and sticky-cheeked. She watches us
the way I watch old, time-stamped versions

of myself, the roughest drafts, feeling
I'd slit a stranger's throat for the clean slate

that was mine—the slate I wanted
only to write and write on.

She watches from the future
to remind me I am not finished,

not as fleshed out as I feel.
I must be full of blanks she'll know

how to fill, and she'll fill them.
She looks back at me, and someone

looks back at her, and I am watching
every version of myself behind me:

never overridden or replaced
but saved, each of us saved.

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Suit or a Suitcase: Poems by Maggie Smith is a thoughtful, beautifully resonant poetry collection that meditates on the intimate, mysterious relationship between body and mind, the shape of the self over time, and how our lived experiences both expand and confine us, using clear, lyrical language that feels both conversational and deeply wise. The title poem asks unforgettable questions about identity, mortality, memory, and what we carry with us through life, wondering if we “wear” our body like a suit or if it is more like a suitcase that contains a lifetime of internal journeys.

What struck me most about this collection is how Maggie Smith writes with startling tenderness about what it means to inhabit a human life, shifting effortlessly between philosophical reflection and grounded emotional insight, so that even abstract questions feel felt in the bones, heart, and breath of lived experience. Her poems turn over big ideas about time, self, and transformation without ever losing the sense of everyday mystery, and there is a generosity in her voice that made me revisit lines again just to feel their echo in my own body and thoughts. The way she balances clarity with imaginative depth made me feel seen and gently challenged at the same time: I could sense both the finite fragility of life and a luminous possibility in the spaces between moments. I liked the collection for its grace, clarity, and emotional breadth, with voices like Roxane Gay and Diane Seuss highlighting the precision and confidence in Smith’s poetry that makes each line feel purposeful and alive.

Rating: 4 out of 5. I’m giving A Suit or a Suitcase this score because it quietly lingers in the mind long after reading, offering poems that feel like wise companions on questions of self and existence, beautifully balancing intimacy, wonder, and gracious reflection. If you love poetry that feels both personal and philosophical, this collection will likely stay with you like a soft, persistent echo.

[Mark 🌹 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sincere and beautiful collection of thought-provoking poetry that encourages reflection and exploration of one’s own mind, body and identity. Much of the themes and tropes were great. It’s a great introductory of poetry for anyone who’d like to get into the genre.

Much thanks to NetGalley, Maggie Smith, and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion of 4 stars.

[Shannon Mccann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sad to say I didn’t really enjoy this one. It’s the first I’ve read from what I have heard was a great poet. My expectations for it were high and they fell flat. The prose felt very pretentious and while I really to much of the themes contained, I felt myself rolling my eyes often.

[2raccoonsinacoat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice, intelligible collection with a few poems that struck me with their nostalgia, particularly the titular poem and “The Score”. Even though they weren’t especially deep or heavily themed, I got a sense of Smith’s voice. There were times I felt like I could have been reading someone’s purse-notebook-scribblings and, while they weren’t fully fleshed out, it was charming. Like road thoughts or the place your mind goes when you glaze over.

While I prefer poetry that is a little more elusive, I think many would find this to be a lovely, easy-to-interpret read.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah Chang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Smith tells the truth of living in such a way that cuts through the thick. The way in which she captures beauty and also grief brought tears to my eyes more than once. What a gift to write about the life, light, and depth of the human spirit in such a beautiful and necessary way.

Like any collection of poetry, some poems will resonate more than others, but I’m looking forward to revisiting this collection again and again.

Thank you, Maggie Smith, for your work, and thank you, Atria Books and Net Galley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[ella (luniellar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry is quickly becoming my go-to for breaks in between my reads and this one from Maggie Smith was perfect for me. I read her collection on People Project this year and was really looking forward to this. She did an amazing job translating the strangeness of the body and mind and the self and the world. I love that that it explores the limits and stretches the limitless of the mind.

Thank you to Atria/Washington Square Press for an early copy of this book.

[LB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had this book of poems for a while waiting to be read, and today I just picked it up for some reason and couldn’t put it down. I really loved these poems. One of my favorite things about reading is when a writer can encapsulate a feeling or thought I’ve had many times before but maybe couldn’t articulate, or didn’t even try to, and so satisfyingly put them into words. Maggie finds a way to do this over and over. I’ll definitely be re-reading these. Thank you so much to the author for a copy of this beautiful book, I’m really happy to have it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Smith has a way of making me consider everyday experiences that make me better. Her words and ideas are gorgeous, and as I was reading, I kept making note of poems I'd love to use in my classroom. I can't wait to purchase a copy in March when it's officially published.

This book was an e-arc given by Netgalley in exchange for my own opinions.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

And honestly, I loved it. I think it’s Maggie’s best work yet. (Heads up - I know her in real life).

Poetry is not usually my jam, but these words of hers spoke to me. Perhaps because I DO know her, or because we live in the same town, and we’re about the same age going through similar life experiences with kids and parents. Regardless of why, this is a book I’d come back to again and again. Five stars.

[Brigid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am incredibly grateful for this beautiful collection of poems by Maggie Smith. These poems made me smile, cry, wonder. There is such richness to her thoughts and words that I would read the same poem over and over and each time something new spoke to me, made me stumble, made me feel. I can't wait for the world to read this. She is a master at her art. The cover art is additionally gorgeous.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[BooksAsDreams (Tiffany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Speechless. Must read. Thank you @netgalley!

[Courtney Cahoon White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same thoughtfulness that’s expected from this poet, but more about the self and moving forward in life, into a settled place in life. Beautifully written as always.

[Kat Cav · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an ARC of this. Absolutely soul-rending. I love this little book of poetry. The poems make me feel alive and not alone.

[Lynn C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful and poignant. For anyone who has struggled with divorce, motherhood, and finding their place in the world. I'm not a huge poetry fan, but this was nice to read while sitting on a bench outside at sunset. I recommend you read this book of poems somewhere you can feel at peace.

Thank you to NetGalley and Washington Square Press for the ARC!

[Debs · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I won an advanced readers copy of this collection from Simon & Schuster; many thanks!*

As a long-time admirer of Maggie Smith’s poetry, I’ve always thought of her as an “earth” poet, meaning that her poems feel very rooted in the soil for me. Which is why it surprised me when the two poems I gravitated to most strongly on this new collection center on water—“Triptych” & “For years I lived.” I’m looking forward to returning to Smith’s previous collections and rereading them in contrast to this upcoming offering.

[Robin Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lover and writer of poetry myself, I can confidently say that this poetry collection is among the top five favorites I’ve ever read. I’ve never read anything from Maggie Smith prior to this collection but I’m excited to explore her other works. The writing style is consistent throughout, and every poem has the potential for relatability for many readers. I tagged quite a few favorites and I’m planning on preordering a physical copy as soon as possible.

This collection is perfect for new and experienced readers of poetry and I’d highly recommend it, as it would make a great gift for a wide range of readers at any age.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Taelored reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book was just a little too profound/over my head. Not my cup of tea, but I could certainly see where other people would be moved by its pages.