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A Hundred Lovers: Poems
An erotic journal in poems, from a rising star in the American poetry scene, author of the highly acclaimed collection Second Empire .
“A book of love poems that consciously and subversively hearken back to Shakespeare’s sonnets, marking Hofmann’s position as one of our necessary poets of erotic desire.” —Jericho Brown, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Tradition
A Hundred Lovers is a catalog of encounters, sublime, steamy, and frank. Inspired by French autofiction, the poems feel both sharp and diaristic; their lyrical, intimate world brings us everyday scenes imbued with sex. "Eros enters, where shame had lived," the speaker observes, as the poems explore risk and appetite, promiscuity and violence, and, in the wake of his marriage, questions about monogamy and desire.
Bringing us both the carefully knotted silk ties of the wedding pair and their undress in a series of Hockney-like interiors where passion colors every object, Hofmann speaks plainly of the saliva, tears, and guts of the carnal, just as he does of the sublime in works of art. A Hundred Lovers invites us to consider our own memories of pleasure and pain, which fill the generous white space the poet leaves open to us between his ravishing lines.
“A book of love poems that consciously and subversively hearken back to Shakespeare’s sonnets, marking Hofmann’s position as one of our necessary poets of erotic desire.” —Jericho Brown, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Tradition
A Hundred Lovers is a catalog of encounters, sublime, steamy, and frank. Inspired by French autofiction, the poems feel both sharp and diaristic; their lyrical, intimate world brings us everyday scenes imbued with sex. "Eros enters, where shame had lived," the speaker observes, as the poems explore risk and appetite, promiscuity and violence, and, in the wake of his marriage, questions about monogamy and desire.
Bringing us both the carefully knotted silk ties of the wedding pair and their undress in a series of Hockney-like interiors where passion colors every object, Hofmann speaks plainly of the saliva, tears, and guts of the carnal, just as he does of the sublime in works of art. A Hundred Lovers invites us to consider our own memories of pleasure and pain, which fill the generous white space the poet leaves open to us between his ravishing lines.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published February 8, 2022
19 people are currently reading
984 people want to read
About the author
Richie Hofmann
7 books60 followersRichie Hofmann’s new book of poems, A Hundred Lovers, is out now from Knopf. He is the author of Second Empire (2015), and his poetry appears recently in The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and The Yale Review. He teaches at Stanford University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
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January 15, 2023the gays are gonna love this one
October 7, 2023
'To give oneself to a hundred lovers: hard.
To give oneself to one: also hard.'
A few gems here. But sparseness clashes with pretentiousness, making for an uncomfortable dichotomy. Which could be the point, of course.
To give oneself to one: also hard.'
A few gems here. But sparseness clashes with pretentiousness, making for an uncomfortable dichotomy. Which could be the point, of course.
January 15, 2023
As the last year passed into this one I wended my way through this with the deepest of pleasure; I loved it so much. I concede more than a touch of narcissism at play with this response though, as the very specific sensibility & perspective of the poetic voice—introspective, art & culture obsessed, begrudgingly romantic, consciously sensual, a not-quite young queer member of the well-traveled & highly educated contemporary creative class—is more or less my own, & so the references, ideas, sensations were sometimes familiar in a way that was almost eerie (though I must admit that this podcast interview, which alerted me to the collection in the first place, primed me to make this connection before I had read even a single word).
I admire the brevity & the ostensible directness in style that quietly unfurls its complexity in a quiet way, often turning on an evocatively obscure term, melancholy image, or surprising connection; there's also an intentionally unbothered elegance—of the type that can only be achieved through extreme behind-the-scenes effort—that I'm an absolute sucker for.
"Then a man put his hands on my head
and I felt the air no longer. He barely touched me
I was so breakable."
I admire the brevity & the ostensible directness in style that quietly unfurls its complexity in a quiet way, often turning on an evocatively obscure term, melancholy image, or surprising connection; there's also an intentionally unbothered elegance—of the type that can only be achieved through extreme behind-the-scenes effort—that I'm an absolute sucker for.
"Then a man put his hands on my head
and I felt the air no longer. He barely touched me
I was so breakable."
January 30, 2022
A Hundred Lovers by Richie Hofmann is a new poetry collection that speaks on sexuality, love, art, and exotic locations through a queer lens. Hofmann’s use of language is sharp, and in his best poems will leave you with a sense of beautiful sadness.
Spring Wedding is my personal favorite poem upon my first reading.
Spring Wedding is my personal favorite poem upon my first reading.
February 11, 2022
An absolute perfect poetry collection.
Filled with gritty and gorgeous tones and prose.
The type of collection that makes one want to
cry and compose at the same time.
Filled with gritty and gorgeous tones and prose.
The type of collection that makes one want to
cry and compose at the same time.
August 8, 2022
3,5/5
The love between men does not always have to be a physical experience, it is as much an aesthetic one, as Cafavy has shown us in some of his great poems. The senses have as much importance and sometimes even more than the act itself. Richie Hofmann shows that in these poems, some with a sense of longing, others with a sense of fulfillment.
The love between men does not always have to be a physical experience, it is as much an aesthetic one, as Cafavy has shown us in some of his great poems. The senses have as much importance and sometimes even more than the act itself. Richie Hofmann shows that in these poems, some with a sense of longing, others with a sense of fulfillment.
April 11, 2024
A stark yet refreshing collection about male lust and love.
Favorites include: "Spring Wedding", "Blue Another", "Tiberius", "The Fables", "Looking At Medieval Art", "Cypress", "Museum", "Male Beauty" and "French Novel".
Favorites include: "Spring Wedding", "Blue Another", "Tiberius", "The Fables", "Looking At Medieval Art", "Cypress", "Museum", "Male Beauty" and "French Novel".
April 6, 2025
perhaps a little pretentious at times, but authentic and bare in a beautiful way.
February 28, 2022
If you’re old, read this book to feel sexually young again, to remember those past lovers with all of your five senses back in action, the world still opening for you, all of your sensual losses still in the far distant future. If you’re young, read this book to take delight in anticipating the marvelous poems Hofmann is going to produce over the next half century or more for your enjoyment. Having experienced Hofmann’s Second Empire, I hoped this master craftsman of the poetic line would once again surprise me with the unexpected metaphor that immediately becomes the exactly perfect one, his lean, smooth phrasing capturing small, fragile, intimate pieces of larger themes that will have the reader ruminating on the totality of love and life. I was not disappointed. Hofmann has a rare ability to make readers feel as if they are old friends intimate enough to be discussing love’s vicissitudes and variations over Scotches at two o’clock in the morning. Seriously, you will feel as if you know Hofmann and are glad that both of you are able to speak so frankly about your own love life without embarrassment or shame. These poems, after all, are also about you and are that bold.
In medieval Europe, the penalty for harming a poet was death. After reading Hofmann, we can begin to understand why. It wouldn’t be too much to ask universities where he teaches and communities where he lives take up a collection to hire plainclothes guards to ensure no harm comes to him.
In medieval Europe, the penalty for harming a poet was death. After reading Hofmann, we can begin to understand why. It wouldn’t be too much to ask universities where he teaches and communities where he lives take up a collection to hire plainclothes guards to ensure no harm comes to him.
February 8, 2022
Delicate and spare, sensual and confident, A Hundred Lovers compounds the profundities of desire, masochism, classicism, and corporeality into petite jabs to the heart. With expert economy and a subtle ear, the poems in this collection offer gentle, sometimes fleeting, distillations of life—drunk students at a bar, a Mapplethorpe orchid, the scent of cologne.
. .
I think those new to poetry will enjoy its subtlety and relatability, and I think poetry veterans will bask in its substantive, devastating minim
. .
I think those new to poetry will enjoy its subtlety and relatability, and I think poetry veterans will bask in its substantive, devastating minim
April 29, 2022
3.5 stars. Pretty much a literary wet dream for any rich (or wannabe rich) gay boys who are (or want to be) super artsy, into French aesthetics, probably also fantasize to Lana Del Rey. Not that it's bad, because the writing is really vivid and picturesque-- but know that you're pretty much getting poems about feeling lustful and drinking wine by a poolside.
August 10, 2022
Erotic yet realistic, baroque but in the 21st century, escapist in a deeply moving way. Like the peach scene in Call Me By Your Name, but with more restraint and effortlessness. If you're a poet, this book is also a masterclass in concision. I can already feel the ways in which this is going to inform my current writing process.
May 19, 2024
If you’re interested in capturing the feeling of being on a European vacation during a non tourist season in a country whose language you don’t speak with a lover you don’t know very well and you’re feeling lonely while waiting for them to get out of the shower….. this one’s for you
Anyone interested in queer poetry should give this a shot. Can be a little pretentious at times. Very Lee Edelman coded.
Anyone interested in queer poetry should give this a shot. Can be a little pretentious at times. Very Lee Edelman coded.
March 1, 2022
I enjoyed this collection a lot. There were some great lines that were gut-punching. I was interested by the way the poet played with the seasons throughout the collection. There was nice imagery throughout that made these poems feel alive. The story telling was great too. This collection did not disappoint at all. I was here for it.
July 13, 2022
have not been this excited about a poetry collection in some time. seemingly effortless, so clean and precise in the language. evocative and slutty in an artsy way lol
February 2, 2022
Review acomin'
October 10, 2025
somewhat elegant, but I found these poems remarkably vapid lol
October 12, 2024
I wish I could smash my head against a wall so that I can induce amnesia on myself and read this collection for the first time again.
May 20, 2022
Exquisite
September 15, 2024
2023: ... meh
2024: Releo y lo aprecio más que el año pasado. Creo que hay bastante de lo cual agarrarse en ciertos poemas, pero otros aún no me atrapan en absoluto, ni en tema, técnica ni estructura. Volátiles, un poco, pero ciertamente evocadores de imágenes interesantes.
2024: Releo y lo aprecio más que el año pasado. Creo que hay bastante de lo cual agarrarse en ciertos poemas, pero otros aún no me atrapan en absoluto, ni en tema, técnica ni estructura. Volátiles, un poco, pero ciertamente evocadores de imágenes interesantes.
May 30, 2024
I don't understand the poetry community. It's like networking means more than true talent, and I wonder if that's how the Hoffmans of the world get ahead.
January 2, 2023
The way he says “clothes” in the opening poem makes me want to shed mine.
(See also, the way he says: black anorak. The “k” sound is my kink. Richie, you’ve got me googling voiceless velar plosives.)
I’ve listened to Richie Hofmann’s A Hundred Lovers three times in as many days. The audiobook is read by the author. It’s funny, I’ve loved poetry podcasts for years, but this is the first time I’ve listened to a book of poetry rather than read it.
(See also: silk, skin, hair, dust, ash.)
I was looking for an audiobook to send me to sleep. But the paint stiffening, “the windows sucking in the curtains”, the breeze through the bathing suit, the smell of mint kept me awake. The images linger.
I was happy to hear “French Novel,” a favorite from earlier on social media. I liked many, and I loved “Spring Wedding” and “Feast Days.”
(See also, the way he says: black anorak. The “k” sound is my kink. Richie, you’ve got me googling voiceless velar plosives.)
I’ve listened to Richie Hofmann’s A Hundred Lovers three times in as many days. The audiobook is read by the author. It’s funny, I’ve loved poetry podcasts for years, but this is the first time I’ve listened to a book of poetry rather than read it.
(See also: silk, skin, hair, dust, ash.)
I was looking for an audiobook to send me to sleep. But the paint stiffening, “the windows sucking in the curtains”, the breeze through the bathing suit, the smell of mint kept me awake. The images linger.
I was happy to hear “French Novel,” a favorite from earlier on social media. I liked many, and I loved “Spring Wedding” and “Feast Days.”
March 14, 2025
I love, love.
This book was raw, real, and extremely relatable. It took so many moments, emotions and feelings from my life and captured them in lyrical, and sometimes comedic prose.
I definitely recommend this to all the gay hopeless romantics, as well as the emotionally jaded.
Is it filled with absolute bangers throughout? No. But the ones that really touched me were sprinkled here and there, and made me really appreciate this book.
This book was raw, real, and extremely relatable. It took so many moments, emotions and feelings from my life and captured them in lyrical, and sometimes comedic prose.
I definitely recommend this to all the gay hopeless romantics, as well as the emotionally jaded.
Is it filled with absolute bangers throughout? No. But the ones that really touched me were sprinkled here and there, and made me really appreciate this book.
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April 22, 2023“How gently the curtain falls back down
and the room is dark again, the season
of in-betweenities,
my eyes heavy, my lips numb.
Fingerprints on the unjacketed books.
Inside the collars
of the shirts in the open closet —
An affluent night.
You’ve touched everything in my small room.”
from “Things That Are Rare”
and the room is dark again, the season
of in-betweenities,
my eyes heavy, my lips numb.
Fingerprints on the unjacketed books.
Inside the collars
of the shirts in the open closet —
An affluent night.
You’ve touched everything in my small room.”
from “Things That Are Rare”
Read
October 27, 2024прочиталось як листівка зі спекотного, чуттєвого, претензійного європейського літа з “call me by your name”.
The flowers fade like paintings.
Parasites chew the still water
we held our breath under.
Breeze tears through the fibers
of our bathing suits drying on the back of a chair.
The flowers fade like paintings.
Parasites chew the still water
we held our breath under.
Breeze tears through the fibers
of our bathing suits drying on the back of a chair.
August 21, 2023
Maybe I read too quickly to fully immerse myself in these stories. I wish it gave more. I wanted more.
April 16, 2024
Effortless elegance and he’s hot. Fuck you Richie.
June 26, 2024
Beautiful language but I didn’t really get a lot of these poems. I really enjoyed the poems that were more just gay couples doing everyday things. Just existing in a beautiful life.
September 13, 2024
There are a few gems in this one, but mostly bad
January 28, 2025
3.5 stars a lovely, often raunchy (though subtly), collection of poetry
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews