The Best American Poetry 1995 once again highlights the dazzling spectrum of style and subject matter to be found in the art today. Guest editor Richard Howard's accent is on discovery and surprise, and he has gleaned the most inventive and searching writing from a wide variety of literary journals. The themes and imagery here are indisputably "American," as our best poets continue to mine personal as well as communal experience for their work. Now in its eighth year, this series has established itself as a rich and vibrant source of new poetry -- celebrated in bookstores and on college campuses. Welcome, once again, the memorable voices and unique pleasures of Best American Poetry. Featuring: Margaret Atwood Sally Ball Catherine Bowman Stephanie Brown Lewis Buzbee Cathleen Calbert Rafael Campo William Carpenter Nicholas Christopher Jane Cooper James Cummins Olena Kalytiak Davis Lynn Emanuel Elaine Equi Irving Feldman Donald Finkel Aaron Fogel Richard Frost Allen Ginsberg Peter Gizzi Jody Gladding Elton Glaser Albert Goldbarth Beckian Fritz Goldberg Laurence Goldstein Barbara Guest Marilyn Hacker Judith Hall Anthony Hecht Edward Hirsch Janet Holmes Andrew Hudgins T.R. Hummer Brigit Pegeen Kelly Karl Kirchwey Carolyn Kizer Wayne Koestenbaum John Koethe Yusef Komunyakaa Maxine Kumin Lisa Lewis Rachel Loden Robert Hill Long James Longenbach Gail Mazur J. D. McClatchy Heather McHugh Susan Musgrave Charles North Geoffrey O'Brien Jacqueline Osherow Molly Peacock Carl Phillips Marie Ponsot Bin Ramke Katrina Roberts Michael J. Rosen Kay Ryan Mary Jo Salter Tony Sanders Stephen Sandy Grace Schulman Robyn Selman Alan Shapiro Reginald Shepherd Anglea Sorby Laurel Trivelpiece Paul Violi Arthur Vogelsang David Wagoner Charles H. Webb Ed Webster David Wojahn Jay Wright Stephen Yenser
In each volume of The Best American Poetry, there are usually a handful of really good or great poems, but on a whole, I find them to disappointing. It's generally not the best American poetry in any given year. Nor is 1995's volume the 'best' but it does have a higher number of good or great poems in it. Richard Howard (1995's guest editor) does a better job than most of the other guest editors I've read. You find poems by Margaret Atwood, Rafael Campo, Ginsberg, Marilyn Hacker, Anthony Hecht, Andrw Hudgins, Kizer, Kumin, Mary Jo Salter, and a great series of poems by Molly Peacock. There is also a wonderful poem by Sally Ball. I wish the series would get back up to this level of quality.
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