2008 in poetry

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in?=in poetry
in2?=in literature
cp=20th century
c=21st century
cf=22nd century
yp1=2005
yp2=2006
yp3=2007
year=2008
ya1=2009
ya2=2010
ya3=2011
dp3=1970s
dp2=1980s
dp1=1990s
d=2000s
da=0
dn1=2010s
dn2=2020s
dn3=2030s|

Events

Works published in English

Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:

=Canada=

* Randall Maggs, "Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems" (Brick Books) ISBN 978-1894078627
* Nancy Holmes, "Open Wide a Wilderness: Canadian Nature Poems", Wilfrid Laurier University Press ISBN 978-1554580330
* David Silverberg, editor, "Mic Check: An Anthology Of Canadian Spoken Word Poetry", Quattro Books, ISBN 978-0978280659

New Zealand

Best New Zealand Poetry 2007

The year's guest editor, who chose 25 poems for inclusion, was Paula Green. The list appeared at the series website in February 2008. [ [http://www.nzetc.org/iiml/bestnzpoems/BNZP07/t1-front1-d2.html Web page titled "Best New Zealand Poetry 2007 / Introduction"] at the Best New Zealand Poetry website, accessed April 25, 2008]

* Johanna Aitchison
* Angela Andrews
* Serie (Cherie) Barford
* Sarah Jane Barnett
* Jenny Bornholdt
* Alistair Te Ariki Campbell
* Janet Charman
* Geoff Cochrane
* Fiona Farrell
* Cliff Fell
* Bernadette Hall
* Anna Jackson
* Andrew Johnston
* Anne Kennedy
* Jessica Le Bas
* Dora Malech
* Alice Miller
* Emma Neale
* Vincent O’Sullivan
* Vivienne Plumb
* Richard Reeve
* Elizabeth Smither
* C. K. Stead
* Robert Sullivan
* Alison Wong

=United Kingdom=

* Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin: "Selected Poems Gallery Press", London: Oldcastle and Faber, Irish work published in the United Kingdom [http://ireland.poetryinternationalweb.org/piw_cms/cms/cms_module/index.php?obj_id=11162&x=1 Web page titled "Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin"] at Poetry International website, accessed May 3, 2008]
* Sean O'Brien, "Andrew Marvell: poems selected by Sean O'Brien" (Poet to Poet series, Faber and Faber)
* Avi Sharon, translator, Constantine Cavafy, "The Selected Poems of Cavafy", Penguin Classic, ISBN 9780141185613

United States

* Rae Armantrout, "Complete Early Poems", (Green Integer) [Early collections, from 1978's "Extremities" to 1995's "Made to Seem" collected here]
* Mary Jo Bang, "Elegy", Graywolf Press
* Frank Bidart, " Watching the Spring Festival" (Macmillan/Farrar, Strauss and Giroux), ISBN 9780374286033

* Charles Bukowski, "The People Look Like Flowers At Last: New Poems", purportedly the "fifth and final" posthumous collection
* William Corbett, "Opening Day" (Hanging Loose Press, 2008)
* Robert Creeley, "Selected Poems, 1945-2005", edited by Benjamin Friedlander, University of California Press
* Mark Doty:
** "Theories and Apparitions", London: Jonathan CapeWeb page titled [http://www.markdoty.org/id1.html "Mark Doty Books"] at Mark Doty website, accessed May 5, 2008]
** "Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems", New York, HarperCollins
* Jorie Graham, "Sea Change" Ecco/HarperCollins
* Geoffrey Hill, "A Treatise of Civil Power", Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0300131499
* John Hollander, "A Draft of Light", Knopf (in May), his 19th book of poems
*Devin Johnston, "Sources", (Turtle Point Press, 2008)
* Ted Kooser, "Valentines", University of Nebraska Press
* David Lehman, editor, "The Best American Erotic Poems: From 1800 to the Present" (anthology), Scribner
* Jackson Mac Low, "Thing of Beauty: New and Selected Works" (edited by Anne Tardos), (University of California Press)
* George Oppen, "Selected Prose, Daybooks, and Papers" (edited by Stephen Cope), (University of California Press) (publication was 2007, but not available until 2008)
* Peter Oresick, "Warhol-o-rama", Carnegie Mellon University Press [ [http://www.cmu.edu/universitypress/ Web page] at the CMU Press website, accessed July 24, 2008]
* Grace Paley, "Fidelity" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), posthumous
* Aram Saroyan, "Complete Minimal Poems", Ugly Duckling Presse ISBN 978-1933254258
* Leslie Scalapino, "It’s go in horizontal: Selected Poems, 1974-2006", (University of California Press)
* Susan M. Schultz, "Dementia Blog", (Singing Horse Press, 2008)
* Frank Stanford:
** "The Singing Knives", (Lost Roads, 1979 & 2008)
** "You", (Lost Roads, 1979 & 2008)
* David Wagoner, "A Map of the Night" (University of Illinois Press, ISBN 978-0252075674)
* Francis X. Walker, "When Winter Come: The Ascension of York", University of Kentucky Press
* Mark Yakich, "The Importance of Peeling Potatoes in Ukraine", Penguin

Anthologies in the United States

* Tina Chang and Nathalie Handal, editors, "Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond",W. W. Norton & Company, ISBN 9780393332384
* Leslie Pockell and Celia Johnson, editors, "100 Poems to Lift Your Spirits", Grand Central Publishing, ISBN 9780446177955
* Reginald Shepherd, editor, "Lyric Postmodernisms: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetries", Counterpath Press, ISBN 9781933996066
* Jason Shinder, John Lithgow, Billy Collins, editors, "The Poem I Turn To: Actors and Directors Present Poetry That Inspires Them", ISBN 9781402205026

Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United States

* Michael Almereyda, editor, "Night Wraps the Sky: Writings by and about Mayakovsky" (Macmillan/Farrar, Straus, and Giroux), ISBN 9780374281359
* Robert Frost, "The Collected Prose of Robert Frost", edited by Mark Richardson; Frost was reluctant to publish his collected prose and even said he lost his notes to the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures he delivered at Harvard in 1936 (Harvard University Press)
* Michael Heller, "Speaking the Estranged: Essays on the Work of George Oppen", Cambridge UK: Salt Publishing
* Michael Palmer, "Active Boundaries: Selected Essays and Talks", New Directions (New York, NY), 2008. ISBN 081121754X
* Reginald Shepherd, "Orpheus in the Bronx: Essays on Identity, Politics, and the Freedom of Poetry", University of Michigan Press
* Jan Ziolkowski and Bridget K. Balint, editors, "A Garland of Satire, Wisdom, and History: Latin Verse from Twelfth-Century France (Carmina Houghtoniensia)", Harvard University Press, ISBN 0976547279 ISBN 9780976547273

Other in English

* Kevin Ireland, "How To Survive The Morning", Cape Catley Ltd, ISBN 9781877340178
* Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin: "Selected Poems Gallery Press", London: Oldcastle and Faber, Irish work published in the United Kingdom [http://ireland.poetryinternationalweb.org/piw_cms/cms/cms_module/index.php?obj_id=11162&x=1 Web page titled "Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin"] at Poetry International website, accessed May 3, 2008]

Poets in "The Best American Poetry 2008"

These poets appeared in "The Best American Poetry 2008", with David Lehman, general editor, and Charles Wright, guest editor (who selected the poetry) (Scribner ISBN 0743299736):

*Tom Andrews
*Ralph Angel
*Rae Armantrout
*John Ashbery
*Joshua Beckman
*Marvin Bell
*Charles Bernstein
*Ciaran Berry
*Frank Bidart
*Robert Bly
*John Casteen
*Laura Cronk col-break
*Kate Daniels
*Lydia Davis
*Erica Dawson
*Cornelius Eady
*Moira Egan
*Peter Everwine
*Carolyn Forche
*Chris Forhan
*John Gallaher
*James Galvin
*Louise Gluck
*Robert Hass col-break
*Bob Hicok
*Brenda Hillman
*Tony Hoagland
*Garrett Hongo
*Richard Howard
*Mark Jarman
*George Kalamars
*Mary Karr
*Maxine Kumin
*Adrie Kusserow
*Alex Lemon
*Philip Levine col-break
*J.D. McClatchy
*Davis McCombs
*W. S. Merwin
*Susan Mitchell
*Paul Muldoon
*D. Nurkse
*Debra Nystrom
*Meghan O'Rourke
*Ron Padgett
*Michael Palmer
*D. A. Powell
*Alberto Rios col-break
*Tim Ross
*John Rybicki
*Ira Sadoff
*Sherod Santos
*Frederick Seidel
*Charles Simic
*R. T. Smith
*Patti Smith
*Dave Snyder
*Lisa Ross Sparr
*David St. John
*Kathryn Starbuck col-break
*Alan Sullivan
*Chad Sweeney
*Mary Szybist
*James Tate
*Natasha Trethewey
*Lee Upton
*Dara Wier
*C. K. Williams
*Franz Wright
*Lynn Xu
*C. Dale Young col-break
*David Young
*Dean Young
*Kevin Young

Works published in other languages

Awards and honors

Australia

* C. J. Dennis Prize for Poetry:
* Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry:

=Canada=

* Archibald Lampman Award:
* Atlantic Poetry Prize:
* Griffin Poetry Prize: Canadian:
* Griffin Poetry Prize: International, in the English Language:
* Pat Lowther Award:
* Prix Alain-Grandbois:
* Shaunt Basmajian Chapbook Award:

New Zealand

* Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement:
* Montana New Zealand Book Awards (poetry category):

=United Kingdom=

* Cholmondeley Award:
* Eric Gregory Award:
* Forward Poetry Prize:
**Best Collection:
**Best First Collection:
* T. S. Eliot Prize (United Kingdom and Ireland):
* Whitbread Award for poetry (United Kingdom):
** Shortlisted:

United States

* Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize:
* National Book Award for Poetry:
* "The New Criterion" Poetry Prize:
* Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (United States): Robert Hass for "Time and Materials"; and Philip Schultz for "Failure"
* Wallace Stevens Award:
* PEN Award for Poetry in Translation: Rosmarie Waldrop for "Lingos I - IX" by Ulf Stolterfoht (Burning Deck, 2007)
* Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize : Gary Snyder

From the Poetry Society of America

* Frost Medal: Michael S. Harper

* Shelley Memorial Award: Ed Roberson, Judges: Lyn Hejinian & C.D. Wright

* Writer Magazine/Emily Dickinson Award: Joanie Mackowski, Judge: Donald Revell

* Lyric Poetry Award: Wayne Miller, Judge: Elizabeth Macklin

* Lucille Medwick Memorial Award: Christina Pugh, Judge: Timothy Donnelly; finalist: Sally Ball

* Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award: Natasha Sajé, Judge: Dean Young; finalists: Kevin Prufer & James Richardson

* Louise Louis/Emily F. Bourne Student Poetry Award: Carey Powers, Judge: David Roderick; finalists: Willa Granger & Philip Sparks

* George Bogin Memorial Award: Theresa Sotto, Judge: by Prageeta Sharma

* Robert H. Winner Memorial Award: Jocelyn Emerson, Judge: by Annie Finch; finalists: Rachel Conrad & Marsha Pomerantz

* Cecil Hemley Memorial Award: Brian Henry, Judge: Norma Cole

* Norma Farber First Book Award: Catherine Imbriglio for "Parts of the Mass", published by Burning Deck, Judge: Thylias Moss); finalist: Alena Hairston for "The Logan Topographies", published by Persea

* William Carlos Williams Award: Aram Saroyan for "Complete Minimal Poems", published by Ugly Duckling Presse; Judge: Ron Silliman; finalists: Roberta Beary for "The Unworn Necklace", published by Snapshot Press; and Eileen Myles for "Sorry, Tree", published by Wave Books

Deaths

*January 21 – Burton Hatlen, 71, American literary scholar, founding member of the National Poetry Foundation, mentor and teacher to Stephen King, who promoted the work of the Objectivist poets [ [http://bangornews.com/news/t/city.aspx?articleid=159261&zoneid=176 UM scholar Hatlen, mentor to Stephen King, dies at 71] ] [ [http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com/2008/01/burt-hatlen-1936-2008-burt-was.html Burton Hatlen 1936 — 2008] A "cyber-tombeau" at "Silliman's Blog" by poet Ron Silliman includes comments, tributes, and links ]
*February 13 – Raúl Salinas, 73, American poet, complications of liver cancer. [ [http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/02/14/0214salinas.html Raúl Salinas, poet, teacher and activist, dies: Austin resident and bookstore owner gave voice to Chicano struggle.] ]
*March 16 – Jonathan Williams, 79, American poet, publisher and founder of The Jargon Society
*April 3 – Andrew Crozier, 64, English poet with connections to American poetry, who edited volumes by American poet Carl Rakosi [After Rakosi's "Selected Poems", published in 1941, Rakosi dedicated himself to social work and apparently neither read nor wrote any poetry at all. A letter from Crozier to Rakosi asking about his early poetry was the trigger that started Rakosi writing again. His first book in 26 years, "Amulet" was published by New Directions in 1967 and his "Collected Poems" in 1986 by the National Poetry Foundation.]
*April 17 – Aimé Césaire, 94, French Martiniquan poet and politician. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/17/europe/EU-GEN-France-Obit-Cesaire.php Aimé Césaire, Martinique poet, has died] ]
*April 24 – Jason Shinder, 53, American poet and editor [ [http://www.provincetownbanner.com/article/banner_daily_update_article/_/57368/Banner_Daily_Update/4/24/2008 Service for Shinder ] ]
*June 5 – Eugenio Montejo, 70, Venezuelan poetFact|date=July 2008
*July 4 - Thomas M. Disch, 68, American poet and novelist; committed suicide. [Ellen Datlow, "Thomas M. Disch (February 2, 1940-July 4, 2008)," sff.discuss.obituaries, 2008-07-06, 15:01]
*August 9 - Mahmoud Darwish, 67, Palestinian poet; complications following heart surgery. [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/mahmoud-darwish-palestinian-poet-of-the-resistance-890263.html Mahmoud Darwish: Palestinian 'poet of the resistance'] ]
*September 11 - Reginald Shepherd, 44, American poet, complications from colon cancer [ [http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com/2008/09/reginald-shepherd-1963-2008-i-write.html Reginald Shepherd: 1963 - 2008] ; A "cyber-tombeau" at "Silliman's Blog" by poet Ron Silliman includes comments, tributes, and links] [ [http://poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2008/09/reginald_shepherd_19632008.html Tribute at "Poetry Foundation"] Shepherd was a frequent contributor to the Poetry Foundation blog called "Harriet". Listed here are dozens of tributes and comments from many who were touched in some way by Shepherd and his work]
* September 20 - Duncan Glen, 75, British poet, critic and literary historian [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/duncan-glen-poet-publisher-editor-designer-and-excavator-of-scottish-literature-948530.html The Independent obituary] ]
* September 29 - Hayden Carruth, 87, American poet and literary critic [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/hayden-carruth-poet-who-produced-work-of-unapologetic-affection--despite-lifelong-struggles-with-mental-illness-950819.html The Independent obituary] ]

Notes

ee also

*Poetry
*List of poetry awards