Poetry, Drama, Short Stories

Collins, B. (2003). Poetry 180: a turning back to poetry. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks.

A dazzling new anthology of 180 contemporary poems, selected and introduced by America’s Poet Laureate, Billy Collins.
Inspired by Billy Collins’s poem-a-day program with the Library of Congress, Poetry 180 is the perfect anthology for readers who appreciate engaging, thoughtful poems that are an immediate pleasure.
A 180-degree turn implies a turning back—in this case, to poetry. A collection of 180 poems by the most exciting poets at work today, Poetry 180 represents the richness and diversity of the form, and is designed to beckon readers with a selection of poems that are impossible not to love at first glance. Open the anthology to any page and discover a new poem to cherish, or savor all the poems, one at a time, to feel the full measure of contemporary poetry’s vibrance and abundance.
With poems by Catherine Bowman, Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, Dana Gioia, Edward Hirsch, Galway Kinnell, Kenneth Koch, Philip Levine, Thomas Lux, William Matthews, Frances Mayes, Paul Muldoon, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sharon Olds, Katha Pollitt, Mary Jo Salter, Charles Simic, David Wojahn, Paul Zimmer, and many more.

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Dunning, S. (1995). Reflections on a gift of watermelon pickle ...: and other modern verse. Glenview, IL: ScottForesman.

Here are modern poems chosen for their individual excellence and their special appeal to young people. Exciting photographs accent the contemporary tone of the collection.From lighthearted Phyllis Mc-Ginley to pessimistic Ezra Pound; from the lyricism of Edna St. Vincent Millay to the vigor of Lawrence Ferlinghette; from Carl Sandburg on loneliness to Paul Dehn on the bomb -- such is the range. The little known or unknown poet and the widely recognized appear side by siide.
Whatever the subject matter -- pheasant or flying saucer; lapping lake water or sonic boom; a deer hunt, a basketball, or a bud -- it is all poetry reflecting today's images and today's moods.  The editors spent several years bringing together 1200 poems they considered fine enough to include, then slowly and carefully sifted out of 114 which appear in the book.

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Whitman, W. (2003). Oh captain! My captain!: a poem. Bushey Heath: Taurus Press of Willow Dene.

The poem is an elegy to the speaker's recently deceased Captain, at once celebrating the safe and successful return of their ship and mourning the loss of its great leader. In the first stanza, the speaker expresses his relief that the ship has reached its home port at last and describes hearing people cheering. Despite the celebrations on land and the successful voyage, the speaker reveals that his Captain's dead body is lying on the deck. In the second stanza, the speaker implores the Captain to "rise up and hear the bells," wishing the dead man could witness the elation. Everyone adored the captain, and the speaker admits that his death feels like a horrible dream. In the final stanza, the speaker juxtaposes his feelings of mourning and pride.

Lexile Level: N/A

LA Themes: Good things sometimes come at a cost.

Universal Themes: Fall from Grace

Grandits, J. (2007). Blue lipstick. New York: Clarion Books.

A 15-year-old girl named Jessie voices typical—and not so typical—teenage concerns in this unique, hilarious collection of poems. Her musings about trying out new makeup and hairstyles, playing volleyball and cello, and dealing with her annoying younger brother are never boring or predictable. Who else do you know who designs her own clothes and writes poetry to her cat? Jessie’s a girl with strong opinions, and she isn’t shy about sharing them. Her funny, sarcastic take on high school life is revealed through concrete poetry: words, ideas, type, and design that combine to make pictures and patterns. The poems are inventive, irreverent, irresistible, and full of surprises—just like Jessie—and the playful layout and ingenious graphics extend the wry humor.

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LA Themes: Individuality; Finding who you are

Universal Themes: Family; Coming of Age; Quest for Knowledge

Giovanni, N. (2007). A poem for my librarian mrs. long. Acolytes. New York: William Morrow.

Giovanni reflects on her childhood in her grandparents' home city of Knoxville, Tennessee in the late '50s. She remembers their habits, including a lack of television during the day and cozy nights spent listening to jazz greats singing on the radio. She centers her happy memories of childhood on the Lawson McGhee Library in Knoxville and its kindly librarian, Mrs. Long.  The library is a place of wonder for her, and Mrs. Long was always on hand to help her find whatever she wanted to read. As her mind expands, the young Giovanni asks for volumes that their branch library does not have. Mrs. Long takes it upon herself to make humiliating journeys to the "big library" (read "primarily white library") uptown to ask for the books for Giovanni. She never failed in her quest.  Giovanni tells us that people like Mrs. Long and her grandmother made her world in Knoxville, Tennessee a happy and safe place, despite the social inequalities that made the South a generally inhospitable place for black families. She ends the poem by saying that this love opened up the world in a positive way for her, preparing her for all the changes that were to happen in her life and in American society.

Lexile Level: N/A

LA Themes: Finding comfort in people; One person can make all the difference

Universal Themes: Safety and Security; Love; Need for Change