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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

This is an interactive post - please feel free to participate!

There is an old Chinese adage, “He who reads 100 poems writes like 100 poets. He who reads 1000 pomes writes like himself.” It's with this in mind that I am seeking to broaden my poet horizon. I'm looking for some recommendations as I build a new list of poets to check out.  I'm not looking so much for the likes of Wallace Stevens, W.S. Merwin, or Ashbery, Plath, Sexton, Olds, etc.  I'm looking more for contemporaries or perhaps some lesser known deceased poets.  So if you have some poets you are particularly fond of that you;d like to recommend, the comments section is open for business.

5 comments:

Semaphore said...

Just off the top of my head: Craig Raine (A Martian Sends a Postcard Home), Andrew Motion (Independence), Gary Zukav (Turtle Island), Esta Spalding (Anchoress), Ellen Hopkins (Crank). That should keep you busy for a while.

Michael A. Wells said...

Thanks Semaphore - I'll check these out.

I was hoping that this post would bring out suggestions from more people. At least I have five more to add to my list.

ellen said...

Check out Narrative Magazine (www.narrativemagazine.com) - they are doing a great job publishing new voices, and they actually are running their First Annual Poetry Contest now thru July 18. Info is at at http://narrativemagazine.com/node/53403. They are a free online lit mag & they are constantly putting out new material.

Kelli Russell Agodon - Book of Kells said...

Lorine Niedecker (dead poet)

Living poets: Martha Silano, Nancy Pagh

Michael A. Wells said...

Thanks Kel - I'll check them out.


Ellen - I'll run over to the site and take a look.