My first semester as a grad student is in full swing–actually, I’m just past the halfway point of the semester now. I’ve been reveling in the chance to spend a huge amount of my time reading and writing. Already I’ve been exposed to lots of great poetry, so I thought I’d post a list of what I’ve been reading for my classes so that any of you can explore these writers too!
Here they are, in no particular order:
- H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) – “Helen in Egypt” (an epic poem from the female point of view)
- Gertrude Stein – “Tender Buttons”
- Anna Akmatova (her complete works)
- Anne Marie Albiach – Mezza Voce
- Alice Notley – “The Descent of Alette”
- Lorine Niedecker (her complete works)
- Cecilia Vicuña – “Unraveling Words and the Weaving of Water”
- Kazuko Shiraishi – “Let Those Who Appear”
- Mina Loy – “The Lost Lunar Baedeker”
I haven’t read this much poetry in such a short time in years! I always have my nose in a book now, and I’m loving it. So far, I think my favorite is Vicuña, who definitely qualifies as an activist poet. (For all foreign poets, I’ve been reading English translations.)
Happy reading!