Pulitzer

Congratulations to Brandon Som, who has been awarded The 2024 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Poetry for Tripas: Poems (Georgia Review Books).

The finalists in poetry were Jorie Graham, To 2040 (Copper Canyon Press), and Robyn Schiff, Information Desk: An Epic (Penguin Books).

See the complete list of winners and finalists for the 2024 Pulitzer Prizes.

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Brandon Som photo

taking the pulse of book buyers

The American Booksellers Association has just released their latest Indie Poetry Bestseller List based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending April 28, 2024. It’s a pretty wide-ranging list with a lot of year-to-year overlap. The ABA maintains their Specialty Indie Bestsellers lists online, so you can see the figures back to 2011. The Poetry list is usually released in early May, so the figures include purchases made during most of National Poetry Month.

soon in Seattle

The second annual Seattle Art Book Fair is coming right up: Saturday and Sunday, May 11–12, 2024, at Washington Hall. The weekend’s program features an exhibit hall presenting the work of local, national, and international artists, designers, and organizations; talks, panel discussions, film screenings, book exchange, reading room, and more! It’s all free and open to the public. Read all about it on the Seattle Art Book Fair website.

more books!

With National Poetry Month drawing to a close, the book recommendations are still pouring in. Here’s the latest list:

• ABC News – Leila Mottley picks 10 books to read this National Poetry Month
• The Bay Area Reporter – National Poetry Month LGBTQ reading list
• Electric Lit – 7 Poetry Collections that Transform the Personal Into Portals
• Electric Lit – 15 New and Forthcoming Poetry Collections You Should Be Reading
• The New York Times – 4 Books to Make You Fall in Love With Poetry
• Pulitzer.org – Four Classic Pulitzer-Winning Poets to Read During National Poetry Month
• The Week – 6 queer poets to read whenever but especially now

the last Saturday in April

Saturday, April 27, 2024, is Independent Bookstore Day. In addition to authors, live music, edibles, kids events, art tables, readings, contests, and other fun stuff, there are exclusive books and literary items that you can get only on that day. There’s a map of participating booksellers on IndieBound and the website of your favorite local independent bookstore will probably have a listing of visiting authors and other scheduled events.

Note: some bookstores offer special discounts for National Poetry Month, so Saturday would be a great day to refresh your poetry shelf!

LCP longlists

The League of Canadian Poets has just announced the longlists for the three annual awards: Gerald Lampert Memorial Award, Pat Lowther Memorial Award, and Raymond Souster Award. Twelve books of poetry published in 2023 are included on each list. Award shortlists will be announced on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, and the winners will be announced on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. An online reading will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, to celebrate the shortlisted poets.

books!

It’s National Poetry Month and, not surprisingly, the book recommendations are enjoying the full flower of spring. Happy reading!

• CBC – 37 poetry collections to watch for in spring 2024
• Equality Now – 10 Feminist Poets to Celebrate this World Poetry Day
• Everyday Reading – 13 Terrific Poetry Books for Kids
• The Guardian – The best recent poetry – review roundup
• KQED – 3 Collections Take the Poetic Measure of America in the Aftermath of the Pandemic
• New York Public Library – Our Favorite Poetry Books of 2024, So Far…
• Poetry Book Society – Spring 2024 Selections
• School Library Journal – 22 Works of Prized Poetry: NCTE’s 2024 Notable Books of Poetry and Verse Novels for Kids
• The Standard – 21 of the best poetry books of all time
• Tulane University Libraries – April 2024 National Poetry Month E-Book Selections

…and speaking of books

Washington State University Press has just published A Muckleshoot Poetry Anthology: From the Confluence of the Green and White Rivers, the work of 54 poets — most from the Muckleshoot Tribal School — curated by Susan Landgraf.

Landgraf, who served as Poet Laureate of Auburn, Washington, from 2018 to 2020, conducted more than a dozen workshops on the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation. The workshops culminated in the anthology, which includes work by writers of all ages and experience.

Look for (or request) the collection at your local library or independent bookstore and read more about the project in the Auburn Examiner. Find out more about the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe here.

books and more books

The days are stretching longer, the temperature is edging upward, but there’s always time for more poetry books! Here is the latest batch of recommendations:

• Bandcamp – The Best Sound Poetry on Bandcamp, December/January 2024
• California Review of Books – From Acre to Zagjewski: 31 Outstanding Poetry Books from 2023
• EIN Presswire – Five Poetry Collections Unravels the Diverse Facets of Life and Human Experience
• The Guardian – The best recent poetry – review roundup
• Literary Hub – Seven Unexpectedly Intimate Poetry Books to Read in March
• NPR – 3 collections take the poetic measure of America in the aftermath of the pandemic
• she reads – Most Anticipated Short Stories and Poetry of Spring 2024
• The Telegraph – The best poetry books of 2024 so far
• The Washington Post – Best poetry books for March

new books

Here’s a fresh list of poetry books that are making big impressions on readers:

• Electric Lit – 7 Poetry Collections About the Complexities of Black Womanhood
• The Guardian – The best recent poetry – review roundup
• Literary Hub – Faith, Witches, Grief, and Smoke: New Poetry Books to Read in February
• The Millions – Must-Read Poetry: Winter 2024
• read poetry – 5 February 2024 Releases That Will Make You Fall Deeper in Love with Poetry
• The Week – Kwame Alexander’s 6 must-read books about the art of poetry

Happy reading!