Kevin Young

The Best American Poetry 2011, guest edited by Kevin Young, taps into the reality of the American life now. There are poems about the recession and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as well as poems about love and history, poppies and pears, angels and the afterlife, coffee, and even the kitchen sink. Series editor David Lehman's foreword and the remarks from the poets on their poems and their lives anchor this latest addition to the series.

Reviews & Praise

What was I looking for in a collection of purported 'Best of' poems? I wanted poems that represented the year's landscape of themes, movements, and cultural and economic issues. I wanted quality of product—poetry exhibiting excellence and representing the finest of craft, skill, and artistry. In both points, I was not disappointed....[A] great majority of the poetry in this collection gets to the core of what it means to be human, and this is where the collection earns its power and hold on me. [It's] everything it purports to be—a literal harvesting of some of the best published works from American literary journals and small presses, fifty-three strong. Michael Parker for PoetsArtists, December 2011