Poetry Books for National Poetry Month
By Brad
R. Cook
Happy National Poetry Month!
Poetry,
we celebrate it for one month once a year in a giant festival… okay, so most of
us will just write a couple of poems in April to join the celebration. But
there are those people, poets, who breathe rhyme and speak in a strange
language with words like iambic pentameter. They are elusive writers, but can
usually be found at an area café open mic, or at one of the many readings held almost
every night of the month. They may not use 100,000 words, but the few words
they do use are chosen with extraordinary care.
Recently,
St. Louis Writers Guild hosted a night dedicated to the Missouri Poets
Laureate. SLWG teamed with St. Louis Poetry Center and Maryville University to
bring all three Missouri Poets Laureate together on one stage for the first
time. The post of Missouri Poet Laureate was created in 2008, when Walter
Bargen was selected. He was followed by David Clewell in 2010, and now William
Trowbridge is the current poet laureate.
The
evening which could have descended into high brow over-culture, turned out to
be a showcase of how poetry can entertain, with readings that included pieces
about nature, alien conspiracies, and even Bigfoot. Laughter filled the
auditorium, and excitement kept the audience on the edge of their seats for all
three poets. A successful night by all accounts.
So if
you are looking for some great poems to celebrate National Poetry Month, allow
me to share these books of poetry.
William
Trowbridge
Ship
of Fool (Red Hen Press,
2011),
The
Complete Book of Kong
(Southeast Missouri State University Press, 2003),
Flickers,
O Paradise, and Enter Dark Stranger
(University of Arkansas Press, 2000, 1995, 1989),
Plus three chapbooks,
The
Packing House Cantata (Camber
Press, 2006),
The
Four Seasons (Red
Dragonfly Press, 2001),
The
Book of Kong (Iowa
State University Press, l986)
His sixth collection, Put This On, Please: New and Selected Poems,
will be published in 2014 by Red Hen Press.
David Clewell
Is the
author of eight collections of poetry, two book-length poems, and has been
represented in more than fifty anthologies.
Taken Somehow By Surprise (University
of Wisconsin Press, 2011)
Now We’re Getting Somewhere
Blessings in Disguise
Walter Bargen
Has
published fourteen books of poetry and two chapbooks.
The Feast (BkMk Press-UMKC, 2004),
Remedies for Vertigo
(WordTech Communications, 2006),
West of West (Timberline Press, 2007),
Theban Traffic (WordTech
Communications, 2008),
Days Like This Are Necessary: New & Selected
Poems (BkMk Press-UMKC2009),
Endearing Ruins (Illiom-Verlag,
Germany, 2012)
While
we are talking about poetry, I thought I’d mention a few more poets you might
want to read.
First
allow me to highlight Missouri’s Senior Poet Laureate, Faye Adams. She is
serving her second term at this post. Faye Adams is a wonderful poet and
children’s author.
Beyond
the Masks by Harvey
Stanbrough
Poetry
of a Lifetime by Marcel
Toussaint
Darkness
Never Far by Matthew Freeman
Otherwise,
Soft White Ash by Kelli
Allen
Fierce
Consent by Catherine
Rankovic
A
Stranger Here Myself by Niki
Nymark
And a quick shout out for the Haiku of
Ben Moeller-Gaa
Looking for more great poetry, check
out The River Styx Magazine
Or check out great poems by Dwight
Bitikofer, Faye Adams, Marcel Toussaint, myself, and others in St. Louis
Reflections. (the link is below)
If you’re still looking for poetry
here are some of my favorite famous poets, read anything by…
Shel Silverstien
Edgar Allen Poe
e e cummings
There are so many more, too many for
me to list…
Now
it’s your turn, help us celebrate National Poetry Month by sharing your
favorite poet, book of poetry, anthology, or poetry journal in the comments
section below.
Also, if
you want, you can participate in NaPoWriMO – National Poetry Writing Month,
which is a competition to complete one poem for every day in April.
St. Louis Reflections http://www.stlbooks.com/B009271-1211-51/Review.aspx
