The Best American Poetry 2008

Guest Editor, Charles Wright

David Lehman (View Bio)
Hardcover: Scribner, 2008.

This year's edition was edited by one of the most admired and acclaimed poets of his generation, Charles Wright. Known for his meditative and beautiful observations of landscape, change, and time,Wright brings his particular sensibility to this year's anthology, which contains an ecumenical slant that is unprecedented for the series. He has gathered an astonishing selection of work that includes new poems by Carolyn Forché, Jorie Graham, Louise Glück, Frank Bidart, Frederick Seidel, Patti Smith, and Kevin Young and showcases a dazzling array of rising stars like Joshua Beckman, Erica Dawson, and Alex Lemon. With captivating and revelatory notes from the poets on their works and sage and erudite introductory essays by Wright and series editor David Lehman.

"Pulitzer Prize winner Wright is on the hook as guest editor for the latest edition of this essential annual, and he asks, basically, what and who makes a ‘Best American Poet’? The poets he selected represent quality and diversity…. This is a fun, varied, and generous collection of poems by 75 poets at various stages in their writing lives, all of whom will inspire a wide spectrum of poetry lovers." — Mark Eleveld, Booklist