The premier anthology of contemporary American poetry continuesâguest edited this year by award-winning poet Edward Hirsch, a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and the president of The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
The Best American Poetry series is âa vivid snapshot of what a distinguished poet finds exciting, fresh and memorableâ (Robert Pinsky); a guiding light for the mood and shape of modern American poetry. Each year, this series presents essential American verse and the poets who create it. Truly the âbestâ American poetry has appeared in this venerable collection for over twenty-five years.
A poet of decided brilliance since his 1981 debut collection, For the Sleepwalkers, Edward Hirsch curates a thoughtful selection of poetry for 2016 and an Introduction to be savored. Jumpha Lahiri said of Hirsch, âThe trademarks of his poems areâŚto be intimate but restrained, to be tender without being sentimental, to witness life without flinching, and above all, to isolate and preserve those details of our existence so often overlooked, so easily forgotten, so essential to our souls.â Hirschâs choices for this collection reflect the soul of poetry in America. As ever, series editor David Lehman opens this yearâs edition with an insiderâs guide and a thoughtful contemplation of poetry today.