Winter Newsletter 2023 Poetry

Through a hybrid collection of poetry, found documents, and photography, Erin Marie Lynch’s accessible debut powerfully draws the reader into the complications of reckoning with the past while finding meaning in the present. Lynch’s honesty and vulnerability explode onto the page, creating an intimate portrait that feels both deeply personal and universal. The line “I live because you lived through” echoes deeply within me now. A stunning collection that vibrates far beyond the last page. 

—Tyler

Five years after Emily Wilson’s acclaimed translation of The Odyssey first made literary waves, she has given us Homer’s companion piece, The Iliad, its war-torn, humans-in-a-crucible cousin. Refreshing once again, Wilson’s translation honors the intent of its original storyteller to tell a good story in his own time, by stripping away historical layers and language flourishes to get to its roots, the people, the conflict, the land. This Iliad is relatable, magnetic, enjoyable, and because of this, it is transcendent.

—Melinda

Southwest native Gabriel Dozal understands the U.S.-Mexico border and its complexity. His smart, playfully challenging collection explores its realities beyond our newsfeeds, and further considers what other borders are crossed in our hyper-technological world. Set alongside their Spanish translations, these poems create the tale of two siblings and their real/unreal experience. If you’re looking for something unexpected, there is much to gain in the unfettered reading of this trailblazing work. 

—Melinda

Find me another poetry book that begins with a Spice Girls quote. Go ahead. Try. You can’t. This collection is a beautiful little treasure. Reading Adrienne Chung’s stories is like holding a microphone to one’s head—all of these modern problems about confusing feelings that have been around since humans realized they were feeling things. It’s bright yet haunting.

—Nikole