Member-only story

100 New Poets for the Next Generation

Amir Simmons

·16.6k Followers· Follow

Published in Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

6 min read

242 View Claps

14 Respond

Save

Listen

Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets for the Next Generation

by Lynn Melnick

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1742 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	304 pages

Poetry is alive and well, and these 100 new poets are proof. They are pushing the boundaries of the form, exploring new themes, and using innovative techniques to create work that is both challenging and rewarding.

These poets are from all over the world, and they represent a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. They are writing about everything from love and loss to social justice and the environment. Their work is both personal and political, and it speaks to the human condition in all its complexity.

If you're looking for new poetry to read, look no further. These 100 poets are the future of the art form, and they are sure to inspire you with their words.

1. Ocean Vuong

Ocean Vuong is a Vietnamese-American poet, essayist, and novelist. His work has been praised for its lyricism, honesty, and exploration of themes such as immigration, sexuality, and loss. His debut poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds, won the 2016 Whiting Award and the 2017 T.S. Eliot Prize.

Ocean Vuong, A Vietnamese American Poet, Essayist, And Novelist Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

2. Tracy K. Smith

Tracy K. Smith is an American poet who has served as the United States Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2019. Her work has been praised for its intelligence, wit, and exploration of themes such as race, history, and the American South. Her Pulitzer Prize-winning collection, Life on Mars, explores the complexities of American identity and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.

Tracy K. Smith, An American Poet Who Has Served As The United States Poet Laureate From 2017 To 2019 Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

3. Claudia Rankine

Claudia Rankine is an American poet, essayist, and playwright. Her work has been praised for its incisive exploration of race, gender, and power in America. Her 2014 book, Citizen: An American Lyric, was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. It explores the everyday experiences of racism and discrimination faced by black Americans and challenges the notion of a post-racial society.

Claudia Rankine, An American Poet, Essayist, And Playwright Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

4. Terrance Hayes

Terrance Hayes is an American poet who has won the National Book Award for Poetry twice, for his collections Lighthead and American Sonnets for My Father. His work is known for its experimentalism, its use of collage and fragmentation, and its exploration of themes such as race, identity, and the American South.

Terrance Hayes, An American Poet Who Has Won The National Book Award For Poetry Twice Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

5. Natalie Diaz

Natalie Diaz is a Mojave American poet who has won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her collection Postcolonial Love Poem. Her work is known for its lyricism, its exploration of themes such as indigeneity, sexuality, and the natural world, and its use of traditional Native American forms and motifs.

Natalie Diaz, A Mojave American Poet Who Has Won The Pulitzer Prize For Poetry Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

6. Kevin Young

Kevin Young is an American poet, essayist, and editor who has served as the poetry editor of The New Yorker since 2017. His work has been praised for its intelligence, its wit, and its exploration of themes such as race, history, and the American South. His 2021 collection, Brown, explores the complex history of race in America through the lens of personal experience.

Kevin Young, An American Poet, Essayist, And Editor Who Has Served As The Poetry Editor Of The New Yorker Since 2017 Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

7. Jericho Brown

Jericho Brown is an American poet who has won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his collection The Tradition. His work is known for its lyricism, its exploration of themes such as race, sexuality, and the body, and its use of traditional forms and motifs.

Jericho Brown, An American Poet Who Has Won The Pulitzer Prize For Poetry Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

8. Danez Smith

Danez Smith is a Black American poet who has won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and the Whiting Award. Their work is known for its exploration of themes such as race, gender, sexuality, and the body, and its use of innovative forms and techniques.

Danez Smith, A Black American Poet Who Has Won The Cave Canem Poetry Prize And The Whiting Award Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

9. Ross Gay

Ross Gay is an American poet who has won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. His work is known for its lyricism, its exploration of themes such as nature, joy, and the everyday, and its use of humor and wit.

Ross Gay, An American Poet Who Has Won The National Book Critics Circle Award For Poetry Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

10. Tracy K. Smith

Tracy K. Smith, An American Poet Who Has Served As The United States Poet Laureate From 2017 To 2019 Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets For The Next Generation

These are just a few of the many talented new poets who are writing today. If you're looking for new poetry to read, be sure to check out their work. You won't be disappointed.

Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets for the Next Generation

by Lynn Melnick

4.2 out of 5