POETRY READING LIST
I (Erik Mercier) love poetry. It offers insights and perspectives I could have never accessed via conventional mediums. By eschewing literary convention, I believe it can transmit beauty and sentiment more poignantly than more rigid forms of writing. Much like natural wine, the goal is not photorealism, but connection, empathy, truth, authenticity; all ideals we to prize more than accuracy in art objects.
Bellow I’ve highlighted many of my favourite finds. The focus is on Canadian artists, although I’ve included diverse voices from around the globe. This page will always be a work in progress.
ABEL, JORDAN | INJUN | TALONBOOKS | 2016 | CANADA
ASHBERY, JOHN | THE TENNIS COURT OATH | WESLEYAN | 1957 | USA
AVASILICHIOAEI, OANA | LIMBINAL | TALON | 2015 | CANADA
AVERY, JASPER | NUMBER ONE EARTH | METATRON | 2018 | USA
BAUDELAIRE, CHARLES | PARIS SPLEEN | NEW DIRECTIONS | 1947 | FRANCE
BERRIGAN, ANSELM | SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY | WAVE | 2018 | USA
BIGE, TAWAHUM | CUT TO FORTRESS | NIGHTWOOD | 2022 | CANADA
BISCHOFF, RAEL XAVIER | COMPOS MENTIS | ISHTAR | 2015 | CANADA
BLYTHE, ALI | TWOISM | ICEHOUSE | 2015 | CANADA
BLYTHE, ALI | HYMNSWITCH | ICEHOUSE | 2019 | CANADA
BOK, CHRISTIAN | CRYSTALLOGRAPHY | COACH HOUSE | 2003 | CANADA
BOK, CHRISTIAN | EUNOIA | COACH HOUSE | 2009 | CANADA
BOOK, SHANE | CONGOTRONIC | ANANSI | 2014 | CANADA
BOWLING, TIM | THE WITNESS GHOST | NIGHTWOOD | 2003 | CANADA
BRAUNE, SEAN | DENDRITE BALCONIES | UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY | 2019 | CANADA
BUKOWSKI, CHARLES | MOCKINGBIRD WISH ME LUCK | HARPER COLLINS | 1972 | USA
BRETON, ANDRÉ & SOUPLAULT, PHILIPPE | THE MAGNETIC FIELDS | NYRB | 1920 | FRANCE
BRINGHURST, ROBERT | URSA MAJOR | GASPEREAU PRESS | 2009 | CANADA
CALVEYRA, ARNALDO | LETTERS SO THAT HAPPINESS | UGLY DUCKLING | 1959 | ARGENTINA
CARSON, ANNE | NORMA JEANE BAKER OF TROY | NEW DIRECTIONS | 2019 | CANADA
CARSON, ANNE | SHORT TALKS | BRICK | 1992 | CANADA
CHAN, WEYMAN | NOISE FROM THE LAUNDRY | TALON | 2009 | CANADA
CHAVES, ALEX | ABIGAIL ADAMS | PENNY ANTE | 2015 | USA
CHEN, VIOLA | NOPROBLEMATICS | METATRON | 2020 | CHINA / CANADA
CHOI, DON MEE | HARDLY WAR | WAVE | 2016 | KOREA
CHOI, FRANNY | SOFT SCIENCE | ALICE JAMES | 2019 | USA
CONRAD, CA | WHILE STANDING IN LINE FOR DEATH | WAVE | 2017 | USA
DALE, SARI | PARA-SOCIAL BUTTERFLY | METATRON | 2022 | CANADA
DAVIS, DEGAN | WHAT KIND OF MAN ARE YOU | BRICK | 2018 | CANADA
GIANNISI, PHOEBE | CICADA | NEW DIRECTIONS | 2016 | GREECE
GINSBERG, ALLEN | HOWL | CITY LIGHTS | 1956 | USA
GINSBERG, ALLEN | PLANET NEWS | CITY LIGHTS | 61-67 | USA
GIOVANNONE, AARON | THE NONNETS | BOOKTHUG | 2018 | CANADA
GREENBERG, SAMUEL | POEMS FROM THE GREENBERG MANUSCRIPT | NEW DIRECTIONS | 1916 | USA
HARVEY, MIKKO | UNSTABLE NEIGHBOURHOOD RABBIT | ANANSI | 2018 | CANADA
HERTWIG, BENJAMIN | SLOW WAR | MCGILL QUEENS | 2017 | CANADA
KAUR, RUPI | MILK & HONEY | ANDREW MCMEEL | 2015 | INDIA / CANADA
KAVANAGH, BASMA | RUBA'IYAT FOR THE TIME OF APRICOTS | FRONTENAC | 2018 | CANADA
KEROUAC, JACK | OLD ANGEL MIDNIGHT | CITY LIGHTS | 1959 | USA
KOCOT, NOELLE | GOD’S GREEN EARTH | WAVE | 2020 | USA
KOENEKE, RODNEY | BODY & GLASS | WAVE | 2018 | USA
LA MELIA, TIZIANA | THE EYELASH AND THE MONOCHROME | TALON | 2018 | CANADA
LAKE, AVERY | HORRIBLE DANCE | BRICKS | 2022 | CANADA
LASKY, DOROTHEA | MILK | WAVE | 2018 | USA
LOCKWOOD, PATRICIA | MOTHERLAND FATHERLAND HOMELANDSEXUALS | PENGUIN | 2014 | USA
LOVEGROVE, JENNIFER | BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN WITH PET FOXES | BOOKTHUG | 2017 | CANADA
MCKAY, STUART IAN | A COGNATE OF PRAYER | PASSWORDS | 2018 | CANADA
MCKAY, STUART IAN | EVEN THE IDEA OF MAYA IS MAYA | FROG HOLLOW | 2019 | CANADA
MURPHY, A. MARY | THE HUNGRY GRASS | INANNA | 2014 | CANADA
NAKAYASU, SAWAKO | SOME GIRLS WALK INTO THE COUNTRY THEY ARE FROM | WAVE | 2020 | JAPAN
NARDONE, MICHAEL | THE RITUALITES | BOOKTHUG | 2018 | CANADA
NGUYEN, HOA | VIOLET ENERGY INGOTS | WAVE | 2016 | VIETNAM
O'HARA, FRANK | LUNCH POEMS | CITY LIGHTS | 1964 | USA
OKPIK, DG NANOUK | BLOOD SNOW | WAVE | 2022 | USA
PATO, CHUS | HORDES OF WRITING | BUSCHEK | 2008 | SPAIN
PLATH, SYLVIA | ARIEL | FABER & FABER | 1965 | UK
PLATH, SYLVIA | WINTER TREES | FABER & FABER | 1971 | UK
RANKINE, CLAUDIA | CITIZEN | GRAYWOLF | 2014 | USA
RICHARDSON, ROBIN | SIT HOW YOU WANT | SIGNAL | 2018 | CANADA
RILKE, RAINER MARIA | DUINO ELEGIES | VINTAGE | 1923 | CZECH REPUBLIC
RIMBAUD, ARTHUR | A SEASON IN HELL | NEW DIRECTIONS | 1873 | FRANCE
RIMBAUD, ARTHUR | ILLUMINATIONS (ASHBERY TRANSLATION) | NORTON | 1886 | FRANCE
ROBERTSON, LISA | THE MEN | BOOKTHUG | 2006 | CANADA
SCOTT, JORDAN | NIGHT & OX | COACH HOUSE | 2016 | CANADA
STALLWORTHY, BOB | OPTICS | FRONTENAC | 2004 | CANADA
SUKSI, LENA | THE NERVES | METATRON | 2020 | CANADA
THOMAS, HUGH | MAZE | INVISIBLE | 2019 | CANADA
VON WOLKENSTEIN, OSWALD | SONGS FROM A SINGLE EYE | NEW DIRECTIONS | 1400S | ITALY
WILLIAMS, WILLIAM CARLOS | SPRING AND ALL | NEW DIRECTIONS | 1923 | USA
ZHADAN, SERHIY | WHAT WE LIVE FOR, WHAT WE DIE FOR | YALE | 2001-2015 | UKRAINE
ZORKO, GREG | GHOST IN THE CLUB | METATRON | 2016 | USA