The Year in Poetry, 2024

 

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2024:

Abel, David

Ainsworth, Maudie

Antigua, Diannely

Cobb, Allison

Coleman, Jen

Conoley, Gillian

Corless-Smith, Martin

Daniels, Chris

Dickey, Ruth

Fuhrman, Joanna

Gizzi, Peter

Hall, Alice

Harb, Harrison

Harrington, Joseph

Huapaya, Giancarlo

Lohmann, Sam

Mangold, Sarah

Mattraw, Alex

Morse, Jesse

Nguyen, Diana Khoi

Olson, Tanya

Pai, Shin Yu

Pollock, Joshua

Rocha, Flavia

Rosenthal, Sarah

Roy, Camille

Safdie, Joe

Skoog, Ed

Smith, Danez

Stafford, Kim

Stein, Suzanne

Villaran, Jose Antonio

Wallace, Mark

Winter, Laura

Witte, Valerie

Yeary, James

Yoro, Charity E.

The Year in Poetry, 2023

 

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2023:

Abel, David

Armantrout, Rae

Beckman, Joshua

Beer, John

Bernheimer, Alan

Bulley, Victoria Adukwei

Chua, Rena Garcia

Collins, Arda

Corrigan, Brittney

Daniels, Chris

Day, Jean

Fishman, Lisa

Fleming, Gerald

Fuhrman, Joanna 

Gevirtz, Susan

Gonzalez, Elisa

Hirshfield, Jane

Jackson, Major

Johnson, Jessica E.

Larkin, Maryrose

Lee, Annabel

Lee, Janice

Lohmann, Sam

Luna, Christopher

Lupo, Lorraine

Maziar, Paul

Meier, Richard

Mojgani, Anis

Molnar, Daniela Naomi

Nichelle, Jae

Notley, Alice

de la Paz, Oliver

Rabins, Alicia Jo

Reeves, Roger

Reilly, Evelyn

Rekdal, Paisley

Roberson, Ed

Rocha, Flavia

Russo, Linda

Savage, Claudia Saleeby

Schlesinger, Kyle

Shaner, Tim

Skinner, Jonathan

Tierney, Orchid

Vasquez, Angie Trudell

Williams, Tyrone 

Woodard, Deborah

Zapruder, Matthew

The Year in Poetry, 2022

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2022:

Abel, David

Alexander, Charles

Boldt, Lindsay

Canty, Turner 

Carty, Bill

Dunagan, Patrick James

Dundon, Patrick

Edwards, Joshua

Griffitts, Meg E.

Hongo, Garrett

Kahn, Jacob

Mojgani, Anis

Safdie, Joe

Scarano, Caitlin

Siegel, Marisa

Tibble, Tayi

Tillinghast, Richard

Wong, Shelley

Xu, Lynn

Yeary, James

The Year in Poetry, 2021

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2021:

Cobb, Allison

Johnson, Juleen Eun Sun

Morse, Jesse

Newton, Ryan

Poulin, Melissa Reeser

Sigo, Cedar

Walton, Thomas

The Year in Poetry, 2020

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2020:

Bruno, Franklin

Glazer, Michele

Radon, Lisa

Rocha, Flávia

Silano, Martha

Yeary, James

The Year in Poetry, 2019

A thanks to the poets whose work I had a chance to hear in Portland in 2019:

Akant, Sara Deniz
Alexander, Will
Ali, Kazim
Armantrout, Rae
Ashby, Chris
Atsitty, Tacey M.

Ballard, Micah
Beckman, Joshua
Beer, John
Bernheimer, Alan
Bettridge, Joel
Blythe, Ali
Boldt, Lindsay
Book, Shane
Bouwsma, Julia
Bravo, Rodrigo
Brings Plenty, Trevino
Brolaski, Julian Talamantez

Calvocoressi, Gabrielle
Chang, Tina
Cobb, Allison
Cole, Norma
Craig, Michael Earl
Czaga, Kayla

Da´, Lauren

DinéYazhi´, Demian

Dutton, Danielle

Dykstra, Kristin

Eisen-Martin, Tongo

Elkins, Ansel

Elliot, Joseph

Fernandes, Raoul

Frey, Emily Kendal

Gander, Forrest

Gibson, Dobby

Inbar, Tomer

Jess, Tyehimba

Kearney, Douglas

Larsen, Sara

Lasky, Dorothea

Laux, Dorianne

Limon, Ada

Lohmann, Sam

Mahrer, Gregory

Matejka, Adrian

McCann, Anthony

McCollum, Seann

McSweeney, Joyelle

Meier, Richard

Mody, Monica
Murphy, Miguel

Negus, Sean

Newton, Ryan

Nguyen, Diana Khoi

Orth, Steve

Ostriker, Alicia

Pardlo, Gregory

Pearson, Nancy K.

Rabins, Alicia Jo

Raz, Yosefa

Reines, Ariana

Robinson, Kit

Rocha, Flávia

Scafidi, Steve

Schlegel, Rob

Schomburg, Zachary

Sharma, Prageeta

Shazia, Hafiz Ramji

Sikelianos, Eleni

Thibodeaux, Sunnylyn

Wayne, Phoebe

Welish, Marjorie
Wiatr, Zosia

Wier, Dara

Willis, Wendy
Wise, Consuelo

Westerman, Gwen Neil

Williams, Ian

Yeager, Peter
Yeary, James

Zamora, Felicia
Zapruder, Matthew
Zawacki, Andrew
Zucker, Rachel

The Year in Poetry, 2018

A thanks to the poets whose work I had a chance to hear in Portland in 2018:

Abel, David
Adams-Santos, Stephanie
Anastacia-Renee
Arterian, Diana

Bashir, Samiya
Beckman, Joshua
Bellamy, Dodie
Blanchfield, Brian
Brolaski, Julian Talamantez

Denrow, Jennifer

Ford, Katie
Froude, Richard

Gander, Forrest
Gladman, Renee

Hass, Robert

Killian, Kevin

Landman, Seth
Larsen, David
Lee, Janice
Levad, Megan
Limon, Ada

Lohmann, Sam

Mead, Jane

Muske-Dukes, Carol

Myles, Eileen

Pardlo, Gregory

Rabins, Alicia Jo

Raphael, Dan

Silverman, Oren

Simonds, Sandra

Skoog, Ed

Tillinghast, Julia Clare

Toliver, Ashley

Tran, Stacey

Vassilakis, Nico

Wilkins, Joe

Yang, Jeffrey

Yeary, James

(completing the dozen: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

The Year in Poetry, 2017

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2017:

abreu, manuel arturo
Armantrout, Rae

Beispiel, David
Brazil, David
Brolaski, Julian Talamantez

Carr, Julie
Ciccarello, Lisa
Cisper, Mary
Cobb, Allison
Cohen, Alicia
Cole, Norma
Coleman, Jen
Conrad, CA

Dunbar, Donald

Eisen-Martin, Tongo

Firestone, Jennifer
Fischer, Norman
Freeman, John

Galvin, Sarah
Goldberg, Ariel

Harris, Jamondria Marnice
Hasegawa, Craig
Heuving, Jeanne 
Hou, Christine Shan Shan
Hunter, Lauren

Knittle, Davy

Lamb, Meghan
Larsen, Sara
Lawson, Shayla
Levin, Dana
Levin, Lauren
lewis, erica
Lohmann, Sam

Maziar, Paul
Moten, Fred

No, Patricia

Olstein, Lisa

Piuma, Chris
Putnam, C.E. 

Quinn, Hajara

raphael, dan

Sanchez, Erika L. 
Scott, Jordan
Seidenberg, Steven
Sherry, James
Sigo, Cedar
Smith, Danez
Smith, Henry Cole
Sneathen, Eric
Strom, Dao
Sutter, Sara

Tardi, Mark
Tettleton, Parker
Tillinghast, Richard
Toscano, Rodrigo
Tran, Stacey

Vermaas, Jake

Weir, Dara
White, Arisa
Willis, Wendy
Wong, Jane

Yankelevich, Matvei
Yeary, James

Zamora, Javier
Zapruder, Matthew

(From the archive: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007)

The Year in Poetry, 2016

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2016:

Abel, David

de Acosta, Alejandro

Adamshick, Carl

Ashby, Chris

Bakaitis, Vyt

Beckman, Joshua

Beer, John

Bernheimer, Alan

Boone, Bruce

Borsuk, Amaranth

Buzzeo, Melissa

Cohen, Alicia
Coleman, Jen

Dower, Kim

Fletcher, Jenna Marie

Frey, Emily Kendal

Gray, Robert Duncan

Gregerson, Linda

Griffin, Whit

Haber, Zack

Halpern, Rob

Harris, Ally

Haynes, Lamarra

Hunter, Carrie

Jensen, Rachael

Jess, Tyehimba

Johnson, Jessica

Kronovet, Jennifer

Larkin, Maryrose

Lyons, Kimberly

Mackey, Nathaniel

Mangold, Sarah

Maziar, Paul

Mehl, Liz

Mills, Ryan

No, Patricia

O’Malley, A.M.

Pico, Tommy

Poe, Deborah

Powell, D.A. 

Rosenthal, Sarah

Ruoff, Lindsay Allison

Schlesinger, Kyle

Schultz, Susan

Simon, Aaron

Straw, Timmy

Strom, Dao

Tharp, Shannon

Tillinghast, Julia Claire

Wilkins, Joe

Witte, Valerie

Yim, Lu

Zucker, Rachel

Complete decade: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007

The Year in Poetry Readings, 2015

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2015:

Bartlett, Sarah
Berkowitz, Amy
Briggs, Natalie
Bury, Louis

Carr, Emily
Clausen, Jan
Cobb, Allison

DeWeese, Christopher
Donahue, Joseph

Felix, Joel

Harris, Ally
Hegnauer, HR

Landman, Seth
Lee, Sueyeun Juliette

Need, David
Nufer, Doug

O'Leary, Peter
O'Malley, A.M.

Quinn, Hajara

Rabins, Alicia Jo
Robinson, Kit

Starkweather, Sampson

Toliver, Ashley

Ware, Joshua
Wernet, Valerie
Wiatr, Zosia

Yeary, James
Young, Mike

(Collect 'em all: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)

The Year in Poetry Readings, 2014

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2014. More readings happening this year than any other I've been here: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 & 2007.

Adamshick, Carl
Alessandrelli, Jeff
Armantrout, Rae
Arterian, Diana
Ashby, Chris

Beer, John
Belz, Aaron
Bernheimer, Alan
Blanchfield, Brian
Boldt, Lindsey
Borsuk, Amaranth
Brewington, Tyler
Buuck, David

Carter, Nathan Wade
Carty, Bill
Clemenzi-Allen, Ben
Cobb, Allison
Conrad, CA
Coolidge, Clark

Dowling, Sara
Downing, Brandon
Dunbar, Donald

Ferguson, Elizabeth
Frey, Emily Kendal

Gamble, Hannah
Gray, Robert Duncan
Gregory, Jane

Haber, Zack
Haley, Jamalieh
Handal, Nathalie
Houlberg, Laura
Huffman, Jibade-Khalil

Ives, Lucy

Jensen, Rachael

Kaupang, Aby
Kunin, Aaron

Landers, Sue
Larkin, Maryrose
Lohmann, Sam

Mac Cormack, Karen
Maziar, Paul
McCaffery, Steve

Putnam, CE

Radon, Lisa
Rocha, Flavia
Ruoff, Lindsay Allison

Schaefer, Standard
Schirmann, Kelly
Schlegel, Rob
Schlesinger, Kyle
Schluter, Kit
Shaner, Tim
Shaw, Anne
Sigo, Cedar
Sikelianos, Eleni
Silliman, Ron
Smith, Rich
Smuggles, Julian
Spahr, Juliana
Straw, Timmy
Strickland, Stephanie
Sullivan, KMA
Swenhaugen, Drew Scott

Toliver, Ashley
Tran, Stacey
Trigg, Nicole

Warren, Alli
Wiatr, Zosia
Wilkinson, Joshua Marie
Woods, Sarah

Yeary, James

Zolf, Rachel

The Year in Poetry Readings, 2013

A thanks to the poets whose work I heard in Portland in 2013. (The essential Donald Dunbar posted his own list this year; my 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 & 2007 come up at a click).

Abel, David
Alexander, Charles
Ashby, Chris
Autrey, Michael

Beachy-Quick, Dan
Beckman, Joshua
Beer, John
Biespiel, David
Borsuk, Amaranth
Bradshaw, Joseph
Brazda, Carolyn
Brolaski, Julian Talamantez

Chabrier, Francesca
Ciccarello, Lisa
Cobb, Allison
Coleman, Jen

Dahlen, Beverly
Dahlin, Sophia
Davis, Dick
Donnelly, Timothy
Dunbar, Donald
Dunbar, Rachel Springer

Fitzgerald, Adam

Greenstreet, Kate

Haley, Jamalieh
Hall, Joe
Highfill, Mitch
Hill, Lindsay
Howe, Susan

Kennedy, Evan

Larkin, Maryrose
Lasky, Dorothea

Maziar, Paul
Mohammad, K. Silem

Nelson, Maggie
Notley, Alice

O'Leary, Peter

Piuma, Chris
pringle, kathryn l.

Radon, Lisa
Russo, Linda

Schaefer, Standard
Schomburg, Zachary
Shimoda, Brandon
Smith, Rich
Staiti, Erika
Strong, Christina
Stucky, Janaka
Szybist, Mary

Teare, Brian
Tillinghast, Julia Clare
Toliver, Ashley

Weeks, Maya

Yeary, James

Zawacki, Andrew

The Year in Poetry Readings, 2012

A thanks to the poets whose work I heard in Portland in 2012:

Abel, David

Bartlett, Sarah
Beer, John
Bernstein, Charles
Blonk, Jaap
Brolaski, Julian T.
Brown, Brandon

Clark, Kira
Cobb, Allison
Cohen, Alicia
Coleman, Jen

Dewhurst, Robbie

Goldman, Judith
Grabill, James
Gardner, Susana
Grinnell, E. Tracy

Hadbawnik, David
Hailey, Jamalieh
Harris, Ally

Joy, Eileen

Lease, Joseph
Lohmann, Sam

McCreary, Chris
McCreary, Jenn
Mutschlecner, David

Nayer, Louise

Owens, Mark

Piuma, Chris
Putnam, C.E.

Radon, Lisa
raphael, dan
Remein, Dan
Roggenbuck, Steve (in Ashland, but he read in Portland)
Ruoff, Lindsay Allison
Russo, Linda

Schlesinger, Kyle
Stanley, Jared
St. John, Cindy
Sullivan, Gary
Swenhaugen, Drew Scott

Taplin, Becca
Teague, Alexandra
Thomas-Glass, Dan
Tiso, Nicky

Vassilakis, Nico

Wagner, Catherine
Ward, Dana
Warren, Alli
Wayne, Phoebe
Wiatr, Zosia Rose

Yeary, James

(For local stratigraphers: 07, 08, 09, 10, 11).

The Year in Poetry Readings, 2011

Not a banner year for reading reports, but a thanks nonetheless to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2011 (2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007 come up at a click).

Abel, David

Albon, George 

Ashby, Chris

Bartlett, Jennifer

Bartlett, Sarah

Beer, John

Benham, Melissa

Brazil, David

Brolaski, Julian T.

Christle, Heather

Ciccarello, Lisa

Cobb, Allison

Coffelt, Bryan

Cohen, Alicia

Coleman, Jen 

Comiskey, Daniel 

Cottrell, Chris

Cunningham, Brent

Dacheux, Stacy Elaine

Degentesh, Katie

Demske, Nick

Dickman, Matthew

Downing, Brandon

Dunbar, Donald

Erikson, Michelle

Gardner, Drew

Gorrick, Anne

Hart, Matt

Hartigan, Patrick Playter

Hill, Lindsay

Kaminski, Megan

Kemp, Arnold J.

Keppler, Joe

Landers, Sue

Larkin, Maryrose

Lerner, Ben

Lohmann, Sam

Maziar, Paul

Morse, Jesse

Radon, Lisa 

Rotaru, Andra

Roy, Camille

Skoog, Ed

Stein, Melissa

Swenhaugen, Drew Scott

Tendick, Noel

Vassilakis, Nico

Williams, John Sibley

Yeary, James

The Year in Poetry Readings, 2010

A thanks to the poets whose work I got to hear in Portland in 2010 (a click also brings up 2007, 2008 and 2009.)

Abel, David

Alexander, Charles

Berrigan, Anselm

Bettridge, Joel

Boone, Bruce

Boykoff, Jules

Bradshaw, Joseph

Buffy, Jake

Bull, Ethan Saul

Buuck, David

Cain, Amina

Calkins, Jennifer

Card, Macgregor

Cobb, Allison

Coffelt, Bryan

Cohen, Alicia

Daniels, Chris

Degentesh, Katie

Downing, Brandon

Dunbar, Donald

Frey, Emily Kendal

Gendron, James

Glazer, Michele

Graham, K. Lorraine

Hailey, Jamalieh

Harris, Jaye

Hawkey, Christian

Hill, Lindsay

Hirsch, Kate

Inada, Lawson

Johanson, Reg

Kemp, Arnold J.

Larkin, Maryrose

Lee, Marshall Walker

Levine, Jake

Lichtenstein, Jesse

Lohmann, Sam

Mains, Joseph

Maziar, Paul

Mittenthal, Robert

Morse, Jesse

Nealon, Chris

Newton, Ryan

Nufer, Doug

Ore, Pam

Radon, Lisa

Raphael, Dan

Roberts, Michael

Sampsell, Kevin

Sand, Kaia

Schaefer, Standard

Schlesinger, Kyle

Schomburg, Zachary

Shaw, B.T.

Svalina, Mathias

Swenhaugen, Drew

Szybist, Mary

Timmons, Mathew

Tran, Stacey

Treiber, Jackie

Wallace, Mark

Warsh, Lewis

Weiser, Karen

Wheeler, Vandoren

Wilkinson, Joshua Marie

Wolach, David

Zolf, Rachel

Lewis Warsh's The Origin of the World

A seasonal time/energy deficit choked off the posts I meant to write on the strong run of readings in Portland lately: David Wolach with a laptop, Rachel Zolf with a Boykoff, Joshua Marie Wilkinson with a banjo, Katie Degentesh with unexpected sunshine, Mathias Svalina with surprise high school buds, K. Lorraine Graham with spangles, Anselm Berrigan with Sebaldliche syntax, Karen Weiser with Swedenborg, Alicia Cohen with autumn leaves, Kevin Sampsell with an SPD tee, Paul Maziar with a Catholic childhood, Standard Schaefer with false purgatories, Mark Wallace with lines for each audience member, Joseph Mains with skillfully held-back feedback, Les Fig with a pet caravan, etc. 

Those reports won’t ever get written, at least not by me. But I did manage to write something about the Lewis Warsh books I got in advance of his reading, which I liked a lot. Soft rock and cowbell’s bound to sound like a diss out of context; I hope you can hear that it’s not. 

Lately, I hear ‘70s “soft” rock on the radio and wonder at the craftsmanship. It takes a lot of chops to sound that easy-like-Sunday-morning smooth, and measured against the digital wizardry that’s come since, the production seems warm and honest, not MOR-slick. Once in a while a sharp bass lick or drum figure bubbles up through the flow, and I picture the studio musicians who gave everything they had to hits that got plenty of airplay, but little critical respect.

Warsh’s poems from the ‘90s work sort of like that lick. You move along absently tapping your toes across the registers—“She drove up to Boston & bought a handbag on sale at Filene’s”; “Don’t be afraid of hurting my feelings by telling me/you hate me”—then suddenly, a sentence that pulls you up with its subtle vernacular majesty:

“Mansions where executives once lived with their families will
be split into apartments for the families of the workers”

or

“I plant the symbol of order, Neptune’s trident, on the opposite
side of the achipelago & set forth under warm skies to a
new terrain, spellbound by the possibilities of the future
& the shadows of the strange birds hanging motionless
on the horizon, but I don’t know the name of the boat
I’m aboard—it’s like a shadow of some other boat
that went down in the storm of the Isle of Good Hope,
where promises of love were made only to be broken
the next day, where marriage vows were spoken
in the shadows of an empty cathedral, where friends
& relatives gathered to wish you well—could
anyone of them, or you, predict
this spell of cold weather
we’ve been having recently?”

That last one’s from someone who owns a few Ashbery albums, but within the context of the assured, direct, observational comedy-like zingers that surround it, it leaps out with an intensity that’s all Warsh’s. If second generation New York School is Zappa, and Language poetry’s The Clash, and theory is techno, the poems here remind me that sometimes a reader just needs more cowbell.

Star Studies

Giant thanks to Tom Fisher and Sam Lohmann for being last night’s first, brave iteration of the Habsburg Lipps. Good hearing work by Erik Flores and remarkable solo guitar from Dave Bow, whose songs carried some of the charge of Oregon’s own Tim Hardin. Enjoyed meeting Cheyenne Glasgow, too. Got home past 11 to spot the fire-twirling troupe who practices for Burning Man in the park near my house. This spring they were marching through a thin steady rain, hoops and wands unlit. Last night they were in full blaze. This must mean something good.

Jamalieh Haley and Donald Dunbar are doing great things with a living room and all the writers, singers, painters, visual artists, box wine & PBR imbibers it’ll fit. You can check for who’s next last Tuesday of each month at If Not For Kidnap Poetry.