As I look to the new year, I want to pay gratitude to the poets whose books got me through 2020. Here are a few books I read this year that really moved me — a thread (I’ll do as many as I can):

In a year where Tiger King was a streaming success, this poetry book by @jezzbah takes a serious and detailed look at the problems with animal captivity, the degradation of landscape, and the lives of those trampled underfoot in the wake of such exploitation. Absolutely stunning.

Leaping into the mind of @angiekm111 is as poignant as it is entertaining. At the heart of this book is a pursuit to understand the universe & our world, the synthesis of humanity & community, the relationships we carry & hold. Among the most underrated books of the year!

A poignant praise of the Black experience, community, and connection to landscape, @TyreeDaye’s second book is a fitting follow up to River Hymns. The book illustrates a dexterity of language, form, precision, and use of space on the page—an all-around great collection.

Visceral and deeply connected to the human experience and our troubled notions of country, @EduardoCCorral’s poems push the boundaries of form and language to marry the poet’s lived & dreamed experiences to a place beyond his own body, paying light to bodies we too often forget.

Amid such loss in 2020, what a comfort to read @ChelsDingman’s book exploring the surfaces of mourning in ways I’ve never encountered. Following a stillbirth, the poet catalogues her experience with daring honesty. A must for anyone who has loved, lost, & wrestled toward healing.

One of the most underrated reads of of the year (in my opinion), Of This River is a striking collection of the rural experience and environmental destruction. Here, the poet is witness through the lens of real & imagined characters in the Allegheny region

Kentucky poets always bring the fire! @Dalai_Mama_ has shown herself a formidable new voice in the literary firmament with this debut that, to me, is the truest portrait of Louisville, KY yet. A critical yet loving tribute to a home that perseveres despite racism and exploitation

I found such solace re-reading @BambrickTaneum’s book this year. To me, Vantage is one the greatest poetry collections of our decade. Hard to believe it’s a first book. Deeply immersive, it explores the violences humans commit against each other and our landscape, all intertwined

. @mattwimberley’s debut is a compelling and rewarding read. In this book, the poet explores grief following his father’s death, cataloguing the interior landscape by connecting it to the exterior. His voice has a magic too, that although new, feels familiar.

I admire @Prof_RBW’s daring & critical voice against the problematic aspects of Christianity—a fitting chapbook to arrive at a time when evangelicals have fallen for a man that embodies everything they purport to stand against. A fearless chapbook with an expert poet at the helm.

When I heard of @enidshomer’s newest release, I just had to get my hands on it. “Driving through the Animal” is, to me, one of the most stunning poems of this decade, and the rest of the book doesn’t disappoint.

In his second collection, @LukeHankins2 explores spiritual doubt and philosophical issues of faith with an honest and expert eye. His poem “Crucifix” alone makes the book a worthy read.

A stunning read & beautiful follow up to one of my favorite books, Revising the Storm, @GeffreyDavis is at the top of his game in this book. What I enjoy most is the deep and honest intimacy he shares of fatherhood, a kindred voice for any parent, any reader reflecting on family

I just love @JoseHernandezDz’s imagination in these prose poems, this chapbook in which he shares a surreal world and yet, one that’s not unlike our own. With characters that range widely and with warm familiarity, Jose has shown himself a great, distinctive new poetic voice

In this overtly spiritual collection, @laypay explores the human body and its experiences, how health complications can disrupt a life, and most of all, the perseverance that can lead a person out of darkness and into a new light.

Inspired by the artwork of Artemisia Gentileschi, @hmvanderhart’s chapbook explores and responds to paintings with detailed and keen precision. A must read for any art lover, or for anyone

I love the daring of this collection, a book that explores the personal and familial with an eye on the wider world, the audacity of perseverance. It makes connections between food and power, power and land, land and desire, and many more @JihyunYun2nd