In honor of National Poetry Month, here’s a list of eight up and coming poets whose careers will surely be worth following. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to check out the works of these talented poets:
Beth Bachmann’s debut book Temper was awarded the Donald Hall Prize in Poetry and the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Through gorgeously spare language, the poems in Temper detail a young girl’s murder, compelling the reader forward with hints and moments of intrigue, without sacrificing any of the underlying mystery.
Eduardo C. Corral was the recipient of the 2012 Yale Younger Poets Prize for his book Slow Lightning. Corral often addresses themes of the outsider, and is known for blending English and Spanish into his highly musical lines.
Natalie Diaz’s stunning debut, When My Brother Was An Aztec addresses her upbringing on a reservation, her brother’s battle with drug addiction, and poverty. Diaz’s poems experiment with form and folklore, and take on a mythic quality of their own.
Joanne Dominique Dwyer received the Jerome J. Shestack Prize from the American Poetry Review and published her first collection of poems Belle Laide in 2013. Belle Laide relies on Dwyer’s keen intellect and wit to drive these intricately woven narratives.
Hannah Gamble’s first book Your Invitation to a Modest Breakfast was selected for the 2011 National Poetry Series. Gamble’s poems achieve that rare balance of humor and profundity, making them truly marvelous.
2012 Ruth Lily Fellow Rickey Laurentiis has written some brutally honest poems that address race, regionalism, and Hurricane Katrina. His debut collection is highly anticipated.
Ocean Vuong is the author of the chapbooks Burnings and No. His poems explore grief, identity, and culture, creating landscapes that are so wide-ranging and remarkable for such a young poet.
Marcus Wicker was a 2011 Ruth Lily Fellow. His debut collection Maybe the Saddest Thing was a National Poetry Series notable selection. His poems swing and sing and rap, accomplishing feats many seasoned poets only dream about.
Kathryne Lim is a first-year MFA student in Poetry at The University of New Mexico.
