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Best Poetry of 2006 -- Thomas Kinsella

The National Book Critics Circle blog has a post about the best poetry books of 2006. And there are some great books there: Frederick Seidel's Ooga-Booga (certainly the best title, and a superb and disturbing poet for sure -- check out the readings on his web site), Deborah Bernhardt's Echolalia, Name Withheld by Lisa Sewell. I'm definitely going to get some of the books I haven't read yet.

But Thomas Kinsella's Collected Poems (Wake Forest University Press) -- the definitive collection of Ireland's greatest poet since Yeats -- gets no notice. As usual. Perhaps the problem is that this was published across the pond by Carcanet a few years ago. But the Wake Forest edition is not only better designed, it corrects errors in the Carcanet and it's published here. By the only American publisher dedicated to contemporary Irish poetry.

Seriously, what is the matter with these people? Paul Muldoon's great, fine, ya ya ya (actually I think that's a Muldoon line), but for God's sake will somebody pay attention?

I'll try to make a case for Kinsella soon.

Comments

Razovsky said…
I agree — Ooga Booga is one of the great poetry titles of all times. And I like the book very much. Though I'm still partial to Area Code 212, which was my introduction to his work.

Stu

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