Jockeying for literacy September 21, 2010: A Kentucky literacy project about black jockey Isaac Murphy—a three-time Kentucky Derby winner whose athletic ability is likened to Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods—is utilizing poetry to promote reading.  A collection of poems by Frank X Walker and a children's book by Patsi Trollinger are currently racing throughout the state. From the [...] by Poetry News

Erotic poet, or just freaky perv? September 21, 2010: There's a fine line between the work of a smitten poet and a sleazy perv. When his erotic poetry was misconstrued as harassment, a shy 20-something—aka The Idiot Poet—wrote to Miss Lonelyhearts at the Winnipeg Free Press for advice on how better woo his lady love with verse. Here's Miz Lonelyhearts acerbic advice: From the Winnipeg Free [...] by Harriet Staff

The snow man in winter September 21, 2010: The Guardian poem of the week is Martha Kapos' "A Mind of Winter," selected from her most recent collection, Supreme Being. Kapos channels the spirit of Wallace Stevens through her chilly verse, suggests Carol Rumens, by allowing him to seep into her "imaginative philosophy." "A Mind of Winter" looks solid, with its firmly-packed six- or [...] by Poetry News

Who’s number one? September 21, 2010: Who cares? The Anglo-American literary establishment, apparently. Anis Shivani is happily compiling his list of the 15 most overrated writers (see below). Years ago, after the death of Frost, John Berryman asked: "Who is number one?" And Blake Morrison inquired the same in his Guardian review of Jonathan Franzen. Robert McCrum [...] by Harriet Staff

Economic gloom and doom September 21, 2010: Poets Charles Simic and Joshua Clover weigh in on the dire state of the economy in The New York Review of Books and The Nation, respectively.  Here are their dismal predictions for the future: After chancing upon a copy of the New York Times from 1990, Simic reads an editorial that begins with the line, "American society has problems as [...] by Poetry News

Ranting and rating September 21, 2010: Anis Shivani's list of the 15 most overrated American writers—including such squint-inducingly bright lights as Jhumpa Lahiri and Mary Oliver —has led to well over 15 pages of comments. For those of you who don't remember the summer's hysteria, Shivani opined: It's difficult to know [who's good] today because we no longer have major critics [...] by Harriet Staff

Check out those Bossyboots September 21, 2010: Three whimsical poems by Wayne Koestenbaum, "The Bitter Tears of Alexander Scriabin," "Archaic Awe," and "Dossier of Irretrievables" appear in the AWL's Poetry Section this week.  Here's a shot of Koestenbaum's spontaneity, or you can have a big gulp here: "Archaic Awe" My name is Bossyboots. Liza Minnelli chose me for [...] by Poetry News

PW’s welcome wagon September 20, 2010: Publishers Weekly has expanded its online empire with a shining new Poetry Reviews Tumblr. There, you'll find updates about PW's poetry reviews, profiles, and of course, the latest poetry publications. Here's editor Craig Morgan Teicher's welcome note: I thought I’d try a little experiment.  I have a feeling there are at least a few people [...] by Harriet Staff

Paris Review interview extravaganza September 20, 2010: A benefit to perusing the The Paris Review's redesigned website?  The treasure trove of interviews with monumental poets, novelists and journalists. Pick and chose for yourself amongst the smörgåsbord of conversations, but for starters here's a sample platter to whet the appetite for words: Kay Ryan explains what a deck of tarot cards [...] by Harriet Staff

Riding the Rail September 20, 2010: New York-based writer Jeffrey Cyphers Wright reviews Bill Berkson's Portrait and Dream, Afzal Ahmed Syed's Rococo and Other Worlds, and Michele Madigan Somerville's Black Irish in the latest Brooklyn Rail. The best bit is about boobs (so often true). Wright observes of a Somerville poem: What begins with a boob representing a Giuliani-type [...] by Harriet Staff