Poetry Readers Challenge discussion

Happy new year, everyone!

Every year I like to start a thread where, if they like, people can name their favorite poetry reads of the past year. That way, even if someone didn't get the chance to read all your reviews, they may still benefit from your reading and maybe even have some titles to add to their to-read list for the coming year. You can name a single favorite or, if you prefer, you can break down your favorites by category (e.g., best single poem, best litmag, best poetry book published in 2022, best book of poetry in translation, best chapbook, best anthology, best book of poetry for children, whatever).

My favorite poetry book that I read this year was Ornament by Anna Lena Phillips Bell. My favorite poetry book I read this year that was published in 2022 was Out of Order by Alexis Sears.

How about you?

Thanks for prompting us to think about this, Jenna. I'm going to go with Mallarme as my favorite read this year.

I think the only books I read that were published in 2022 were chapbooks and I can't say any of them stood out.

Since this was my year of the anthology, I'm going to declare my favorite anthology to be the rather staid Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry.

And I'm going to say that Edgar Bowers is my most intriguing find of this year. Having been found in the aforementioned anthology, he's not new to others, just to me. I'll be reading one of his books in 2023.

I always have difficulty singling out a favorite. However, I fell in love with a genre- historical novels- particularly WWII.

Through a weekly poetry workshop I participate in, I discovered Ian McMillan morning strolls. His ability to notice detail and find unique, fresh metaphors is uncanny.

Jennifer Freed's poetry collection When Light Shifts and Ruth Bavetta's What's Left Over stand out as stellar 2022 publications. Both of these excellent use of narrative poetry

Jen wrote: "Thanks for prompting us to think about this, Jenna. I'm going to go with Mallarme as my favorite read this year.

I think the only books I read that were published in 2022 were chapbooks and I can'..."


Mallarme is phenomenal. I need to read more of him!

I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the Bowers book you read this year. He's another one I've always wondered if I should read more of, as I understand that he was a major influence on one of my favorite contemporary poets, Joshua Mehigan.

Nina wrote: "I always have difficulty singling out a favorite. However, I fell in love with a genre- historical novels- particularly WWII.

Through a weekly poetry workshop I participate in, I discovered Ian M..."

Thanks for recommending some narrative poets, Nina. I'd begun to think narrative had been unjustly abandoned.

Jen wrote: "Nina wrote: "I always have difficulty singling out a favorite. However, I fell in love with a genre- historical novels- particularly WWII.

Through a weekly poetry workshop I participate in, I dis..."

I don't think narrative is in any danger of going away at all -- it seems to me to actually be going quite strong: last year's Pulitzer winner, Seuss's frank: sonnets, was very narrative-rich, wasn't it?