Since 1997, The New York Times has listed 57 “notable” books of poetry in its annual Books of the Year issues. Of these, 84 percent of the books came from just eight publishers. Just under half of the “notable” books, 47 percent, were published by Knopf & FSG.

 

Over a quarter of the “notable books” were written by just seven poets. Two poets, Anne Carson & Glynn Maxwell, have been listed three times in the past eight years. Five others (Billy Collins, Jorie Graham, Seamus Heaney, Ted Hughes & Charles Simic) have been listed twice. For what it’s worth, only Collins & Graham were both born & live in the U.S.

 

It’s worth noting also that these selections are not just biased by publisher. Penguin Books in recent years has brought out volumes from Alice Notely, Joanne Kyger, Philip Whalen & John Yau, none of which are listed here.

 

Edward Hirsch listed five poetry books in his own list in The Washington Post on Sunday, two from his publisher, Knopf, one each from Schocken, Wesleyan University Press & Zoo.

 

For the record, of the 5,000 or so poetry books I own, less than ten come from the list below.

 

 

NY Times “Notable” Books of Poetry, 1997-2004, by Publisher

 

Knopf (14)

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF RED: A Novel in Verse, Anne Carson

MEN IN THE OFF HOURS, Anne Carson

THE BEAUTY OF THE HUSBAND: A Fictional Essay in 29 Tangos, Anne Carson

THE COLLECTED POEMS OF AMY CLAMPITT, Amy Clampitt

SKIRTS AND SLACKS: Poems, W S. Di Piero

LAY BACK THE DARKNESS: Poems, Edward Hirsch

COLLECTED POEMS, Donald Justice

NEW ADDRESSES: Poems, Kenneth Koch

HAZMAT: Poems, J. D. McClatchy

COLLECTED POEMS, James Merrill

THE RIVER SOUND: Poems, W. S. Merwin

SPRINGING: New and Selected Poems, Marie Ponsot

OPEN SHUTTERS: Poems, Mary Jo Salter

BLIZZARD OF ONE: Poems, Mark Strand

 

Farrar, Staus & Giroux (13)

COLLECTED POEMS IN ENGLISH, Joseph Brodsky

MIDDLE EARTH, Henri Cole

OPENED GROUND: Selected Poems, 1966-1996, Seamus Heaney

ELECTRIC LIGHT, Seamus Heaney

BIRTHDAY LETTERS, Ted Hughes

SELECTED POEMS, 1957-1994, Ted Hughes

COLLECTED POEMS: 1920-1954, Eugenio Montale

POEMS 1968-1998, Paul Muldoon

LEARNING HUMAN: Selected Poems, Les Murray

JERSEY RAIN, Robert Pinsky

GOING FAST: Poems, Frederick Seidel

THE PRODIGAL, Derek Walcott

WITHOUT END: New and Selected Poems, Adam Zagajewski

 

Norton (5)

SELECTED POEMS AND PROSE OF PAUL CELAN, Paul Celan

AMERICAN SMOOTH: Poems, Rita Dove

AGAINST LOVE POETRY, Eavan Boland

SELECTED POEMS, 1960-1990, Maxine Kumin

THE COLLECTED POEMS, Stanley Kunitz

 

Ecco/HarperCollins (5)

THE ERRANCY: Poems, Jorie Graham

SWARM: Poems, Jorie Graham

SUN UNDER WOOD: New Poems, Robert Hass

NEW AND COLLECTED POEMS: 1931-2001, Czeslaw Milosz

SHROUD OF THE GNOMES: Poems, James Tate

 

Random House (4)

NINE HORSES: Poems, Billy Collins

SAILING ALONE AROUND THE ROOM: New and Selected Poems, Billy Collins

A WORKING GIRL CAN'T WIN: And Other Poems, Deborah Garrison

AFTER NATURE, W. G. Sebald

 

Houghton Mifflin (3)

TIME'S FOOL: A Tale in Verse, Glyn Maxwell

THE NERVE, Glyn Maxwell

THE BOYS AT TWILIGHT: Poems, 1990-1995, Glyn Maxwell

 

Penguin (2)

AN OCTAVE ABOVE THUNDER: New and Selected Poems, Carol Muske

VAIN EMPIRES: Poems, William Logan

 

Harcourt Brace (2)

THE VOICE AT 3:00 A. M: Selected Late & New Poems, Charles Simic, Harcourt

JACKSTRAWS: Poems, Charles Simic, Harcourt Brace

 

 

Others (one each)

POEMS SEVEN: New and Complete Poetry, Alan Dugan, Seven Stories

TRAPPINGS: New Poems, Richard Howard, Turtle Point

OTHERWISE: New and Selected Poems, Jane Kenyon, Graywolf

THE ENGRAFTED WORD: Poems, Karl Kirchwey, Marian Wood/Holt

SLOAN-KETTERING: Poems, Abba Kovner, Schocken

THE SELECTED POEMS OF HOWARD NEMEROV, Howard Nemerov, Swallow/Ohio University

SELECTED POEMS, Harvey Shapiro, Wesleyan University/University Press of New England

HARLEM GALLERY: And Other Poems, Melvin B Tolson, University Press of Virginia

TRANSFIGURATIONS: Collected Poems, Jay Wright, Louisiana State University