I haven’t updated this goal in more than three years. A lot has happened. I graduated from college with a BA in history and English. I entered graduate school for creative writing with the intention to write poetry and ended up writing a memoir instead. I’ll be graduating with an MFA in January (knock on wood). I moved from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania to New York City and back to Los Angeles, where my parents live.

That said, I’ve continued to haphazardly write poetry in the margins of notebooks and on my hands in moments of inspiration, but I think I should read more poetry to be able to discern better what “good poetry” is… so that I’ll have an aesthetic.

Does anyone have a poem (or book of poems) that they would recommend? I’d like to read some from various sources to get a feel for what’s out there. Any (inexpensive) suggestions?