A Way to Find New Poets: The Library
By Joan Spoon
The price of poetry books makes it difficult to experiment, dipping one’s brain into the world of new poets. Certainly, one can buy anthologies or read literary magazines. But sometimes, one wants to sit and read poem after poem by the same person, immersing oneself in the singular way of looking at the world.
Your library is an excellent resource. Libraries have more than just the type of anthology you were assigned in the eighth grade. They have a variety of poets – you can have a veritable smorgasbord of poetry, if you’re willing to take the time to browse.
If you’re lucky enough to have a card at a library that has a county or state-wide inter-loan service, hunt down poets in their online card catalogue and order them.
What happens when you find poets you like?
Go out and buy their books for your library, especially if the poets are still alive. Poetry is often a less than well-paying vocation.
And, if you discover a poet whose work is NOT in your local library – buy an extra copy and present it to them, so other people can discover the work!
Joan Spoon loves her garden, her pets, and her students. She writes, paints, and plays piano whenever she can.
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