Of course poetry books top your gift lists but you can also support poets by ordering gifts from poets who, whether by inclination or necessity, make things that you can wear, eat, hold, and experience. Here are a few suggestions for holiday gifts. Click on the image for more information. If I've left someone out please add a description and link in a comment:
Clockwise from top left: Jennifer L. Knox makes herb and spice-infused artisanal seasoning blends with "no preservatives, MSG, dairy or other creepy shizznit." Deanna Dorangrichia makes stunning utilitarian ceramics that honor the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. NEA fellow Molly Brodak is the genius behind the delicious and whimsical Kookie House. Follow Laura Orem on Instagram to snag one of her stunning otherworldly acrylic pour paintings. Kristy Bowen's dulcet dancing girl press and studio makes chapbooks, stationary, and beautiful custom jewelry hair clips (I want one!). Paige Taggert created MACTAGGART Jewelry in 2003 and her beautiful wearable designs have gained a wide following. Alexandra Reisner's customizable jewelry is available from Caelum Designs. If you want want a ring engraved with “I heard a fly buzz” on the inside, she's the one for you. Combine the practical with the provocative with a tote bag, backpack or pouch inscribed with one of Yahia Lababidi's inspirational aphorisms, available only from Lababidi Ink. This Day Too: Music from Iris America, Terence Winch's first album in roughly 10 years, is a rich gathering of traditional and original songs and tunes from one of the Washington DC area’s best-known Irish-American musical families. Winch in joined by brother Jesse and son Michael along with an all-star cast of D.C. traditional musicians.This is perfect music for your holiday celebration.
Give the gift of an experience and you will help create lasting memories:
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Jezmina Von Theile learned card, palm, and tea leaf reading from her Romani-Sinti grandmother. You can schedule an in-person session in the New York City area, or schedule a phone session if you're out of town. Victoria Rowan is the "creatrix in chief" behind Ideasmyth, your genius amplifier. She offers a variety of services to "help creatives become more professional and professionals to become more creative. (ed note: I know from personal experience that if you have a project that's been languishing, Victoria will help you get. it. done!)
Books make fine gifts too! Here are three I recommend:
David Lehman's Next Line, Please offers a masterclass in writing in form and collaborative composition. An inspired compilation of his weekly column on the American Scholar website, Next Line, Please makes the case for poetry open to all. Next Line, Please gathers in one place the popular column’s plethora of exercises and prompts that Lehman designed to unlock the imaginations of poets and creative writers.
The current volume of the Best American Poetry (2018) was guest edited by Dana Gioia and includes contributions from 75 poets. You'll find many newcomers alongside beloved favorites. Dana Gioia's brilliant introduction and Lehman's foreword set the stage for the poems that follow; the contributors' notes, a perennial favorite section, give readers a behind-the-scenes tutorial in how poems are made.
Complete your loved-one's collection of the Best American Poetry series with this edition of the Best American Poetry 1988. A celebration of the first edition of Best American Poetry and a tribute to the late John Ashbery—the guest editor and one of the best American poets of all time—this thirtieth anniversary edition is a look back at the beginning of a renowned anthology series and an outstanding collection of poems.
-- sdl
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