books
April 3, 2026
The best recent poetry
Goyle, Chert, Mire by Jean Sprackland; The House of Broken Things by Kim Moore; The Tree Is Missing by Shannon Kuta Kelly; Dog Star by Michael Symmons Roberts; Horses by Jake Skeets
TL;DR
- Jean Sprackland's "Goyle, Chert, Mire" uses unrhymed sonnets to explore the Blackdown Hills landscape, the tension between art and articulation, and the impact of illness, focusing on intimate encounters with nature.
- Kim Moore's "The House of Broken Things" addresses intergenerational trauma and motherhood, showcasing confessional moments but sometimes leaning towards pedagogical exercises.
- Shannon Kuta Kelly's debut, "The Tree Is Missing," uses a minimalist style to explore uncertainty, disconnection, and memory loss through atmospheric sketches of Polish border towns.
- Michael Symmons Roberts's "Dog Star" confronts grief and species loss, highlighting the collision of natural and urban worlds with vivid imagery and a sense of "wild voltage."
- Jake Skeets's "Horses" documents the deaths of wild horses during a drought, blending indigenous cosmology with consumer modernity to express grief and a connection to nature.
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