April is National Poetry Month and if you’re looking for some recommendations to get into the poetic mood, you’ve come to the right place. But first: National Poetry Month was first launched by the Academy of American Poets in April of 1996 in order to increase both awareness and appreciation of poetry in the United States and the integral role that poets play in our culture today. Since then, it has become one of the largest literary celebrations in the world.
Now, the recommendations. First, I would be remiss if I did not recommend some of the poetry that has come from Lawrence University’s own poets. Melissa Range, Associate Professor of English, has two collections published called “Horse and Rider” (2010) and “Scriptorium” (2016). Perhaps one of the best quotes I’ve seen to describe “Scriptorium” is from Barbara Roether of the New York Journal of books, “If it were possible for Emily Dickinson to sing in a bluegrass band it might sound something like the poems in Scriptorium.” As Anna Dlugi covered last week, Assistant Professor of English Austin Segrest just released his most recent collection called “Groom.” If you’re unable to get your hands on a copy of his most recent work, he also released a collection in 2022 called “Door to Remain.”
And of course, there’s all of the student writers on campus as well. If you’d like to read work from them, be sure to check out the Variety section of The Lawrentian or hunt down a copy of “fsm.” which usually features several of Lawrence’s own students. If you’re unsure of where to find a copy, try the Wriston Art Center, as there are usually a few still floating around there.
For those of you who are not first-years this year and have taken first year studies at Lawrence University in the past, you are no doubt familiar with Natasha Trethewey’s “Native Guard.” Whether you enjoyed reading it or not, I highly recommend her most recent collection called “Thrall.” I myself just finished it this past week and if you are a lover of art or history, you’re sure to enjoy this book that deals with concepts of complicated and interracial heritage and what it means to be American. For those of you who are first-years this year, go and read “Native Guard” as well. Natasha Trethewey is a treasure.
One of my personal favorite poets is Mark Wunderlich. I read his collection “The Earth Avails,” a couple of years ago and finally got my hands on “God of Nothingness” this month from the public library. Having been born in Minnesota and grown up in Wisconsin, his poetry has a distinctly Midwestern Gothic vibe and shouldn’t be read carelessly. You will catch a couple stray emotional shotgun wounds to the chest. If time forces you to choose between his two collections, I highly suggest “God of Nothingness.”
If you don’t consider yourself a huge poetry enjoyer to begin with, I even have some suggestions for you. These collections are more fun and lighthearted. “Manatee Lagoon” by Jenna Le is a collection that somehow made me love the sonnet–which I notoriously hated for a long time. This collection is both whimsical and down-to-earth. If you’re looking for some good parody, I suggest Timothy Yu’s “100 Chinese Silences,” which fights back against the raging orientalism that permeates much of America’s poetic canon. Sarcastic, dead-pan, and hilarious, I feel like anyone —regardless of their feelings toward poetry — can enjoy these poems.
Finally, if you’re feeling nostalgic, I recommend returning to childhood. Go to the library and pick up a Shel Silverstein book. “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and “Falling Up” still hold true to these days as delightful reads. Perhaps don’t read “The Giving Tree.” If you’re anything like me, you just leave the story upset and crying over fictional trees. But if crying over fictional trees is your thing, who am I to tell you otherwise.
If you’re not feeling any of these poets, or can’t find the time to sit down and read a whole collection, take a trip to poets.org. Browse their poetry, sign up for poem-a-day, discover a new poet. Whatever you do, take the time to engage with poetry some time during this month. With expression ever under attack, it’s important to look to those who seek to share their voices with the world.
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