The Year in Poetry: NYPL's Best Poetry Books of 2019
Welcome to The New York Public Library's 2019 inaugural Best Poetry Books list. Over the course of the year, the dedicated Poetry Committee reads far and wide to select our very best poetry of the year.
These 10 collections are fiercely imaginative and unique, covering identity, climate change, politics, pop culture, and everything in between. New poetry readers will find welcome in Yanyi's gentle and gorgeous The Year of Blue Water; experienced poetry readers will find themselves electrified by the provocative futuristic vision of Franny Choi's Soft Science. Each of our top 10 poetry book selections challenge and inspire, illuminating the world around us.
Take a moment and find the poetry book that speaks to you and don't forget to explore our Best Books of 2019 lists for more expert selections for children, teens and adults.
The Black Condition ft. Narcissusby jayy dodd
Resilience and alienation in the internet age are deconstructed in this experimental collection by dodd.
The Crazy Bunchby Willie Perdomo
A savage, funny, and lyrical hymn to Perdomo’s formative years in East Harlem.
Deaf Republicby Ilya Kaminsky
Kaminsky maps a republic of the imagination that has an unsettling contemporary resonance.
In Her Feminine Sign by Dunya Mikhail
Mikhail’s poetry renders sublime and ordinary the enigmatic states of womanhood.
Library of Small Catastrophes by Alison C. Rollins
Rollins catalogs and archives the complexitites of life in a simple and affective poetic style.
Lima :: Limón by Natalie Scenters-Zapico
For Scenters-Zapico, borders exist inside and out; traverse them if you dare.
Soft Science by Franny Choi
Savagely erotic, Choi's poetry surveys the future with a razor-sharp eye.
Some Girls Survive on Their Sorcery Alone by Thiahera Nurse
Fiercely real and unapologetic, Nurse’s poetry leaps off the page to tell it like it is.
Tsunami vs. the Fukushima 50by Lee Ann Roripaugh
A playful and inventive portrait of nature’s angry and humorous indifference toward humanity and its accessories.
The Year of Blue Water by Yanyi
Deceptively simple, The Year of Blue Water speaks to anyone finding their place in the world with emotional depth and clarity.
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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations.