Poetry
Two Poems For Black Mothers In America
"But look at me. Still on my hands and knees—still pushing."
13 Books By Queer Poets To Add To Your Reading List
Celebrate National Poetry Month with these evocative, groundbreaking collections.
I Did A Close Reading Of The Poem Justin Bieber Wrote Hailey So You Don't Have To
"How big and how vast our world is around us / So grateful for god we were lost but he found us."
15 Beautiful Lines Written By Mary Oliver
The Pulitzer Prize–winning poet died today at age 83.
Pulitzer Prize–Winning Poet Mary Oliver Has Died At 83
Celebrated for her nature-inspired poems, Oliver was named “the country’s best-selling poet.”
Poetry: After Watching “Surviving R. Kelly”
"People want me to believe / there’s a difference when the result / is the same, same, same."
10 Poets On Their Favorite Poetry Collections Of 2018
Jenny Xie, Tommy Pico, Sam Sax, and seven other poets share their favorite collections of the year.
12 Accomplished Authors Give Their Book Recommendations
Each month this year, we asked writers like Meg Wolitzer, Tayari Jones, and Sloane Crosley what they’ve been reading. Here are their picks.
Poetry: "Brooklyn, Ocean Avenue. 2006"
"So here I am / lying next to my husband, / children tucked into their bunks, / divorce papers nesting / in a printer on 138th"
Here Are The 2018 National Book Award Winners
The winners were revealed at the 69th National Book Awards ceremony.
Do You Know These Famous Poems By Their First Lines?
Finally, a quiz for high school English teachers.
If You're Having A Bad Day, Follow These Instagram 15 Poets
For when you just want to feel a little better.
Poetry: "train song"
"the train today / is every reason / i love new york / as a place / to visit / but not die in."
Poetry: "TO THE QUEER WOMAN WHO ASKED ME IF I HAVE A DICK"
"I don’t owe you an explanation. / No one owes anyone their body."
Poetry: "Tamara"
"Tamara was the Flo-Jo of elementary school. / If you were lucky, / you’d catch a glimpse of her trailing hair / before she reached the finish line."
Poetry: “The Places We Are Not”
“are you ok is the hook / are you ok is code for / we are not ok / but please remind me you are breathing.”
Poetry: "What Happened"
"We remember the story / we commit to. Then, we tell / ourselves it happened."
How To Start A Heartsong Journal, AKA An Encyclopedia Of You
It's like a little scrapbook of the soul.
12 Portraits Of Poets Show Sides You Really Wouldn't Expect
These writers are anything but boring.
This Slam Poet Addressed The Effects Catcalling Can Have On Women
"Men have yelled at me in the street since I was twelve."
Poetry: "which art? what fact?"
"what histories are natural & what artifacts art? / how do we decide the borders of a country / or an era or a solar system? when did we decide / our planet meant only this collection of green?"
We Asked A Poetry Professor To Critique Those “Broems” On LinkedIn
“The achievement of 'Step 15: Profit' is as simple as reciting the meditative cadences found in this poem.”
Slam Poet Shamir Reuben Has Been Accused Of Sexually Harassing Minors
In a Facebook post, multiple women shared stories of how Reuben made sexual advances toward them when they were minors.
What's Your Favorite Line Of Poetry?
"My words echo, thus, in your mind." —T. S. Eliot
The 13 Best Poetry Books Of 2017
Here are the poetry collections that we absolutely loved in 2017. (Ranked in no particular order.)
13 Poems That Will Move You
From verse about Columbus Day to trying to masturbate on election night — these poems have range.
42 Gifts Under $10 That Won't Make You Seem Cheap
Yep, I totally bought this at a fancy boutique.
If You Love Music, Here Are 17 Books To Add To Your Reading List
From memoirs to coffee-table books to how music affects your brain, recommendations from BuzzFeed editors!
Here Are The 2017 National Book Award Winners
The winners were revealed at the 68th National Book Awards ceremony.
This Couple Published A Book Of Poetry Based On Famous Vines And It's A Bestseller
Based on a variety of memes, milk and vine takes inspiration from the bestselling milk and honey, and it's way, way, better.
25 Awesomely Spooky Products For Tim Burton Lovers
Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Poem: "Cotton Candy"
"My mother wept nightly for eight years / my living curled its hands / around her throat not choking exactly."
28 Exciting New Books You Need To Read This Fall
New books by Salman Rushdie, Jennifer Egan, Jesmyn Ward, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and John Green, oh my!
Poem: "Living On Earth" By Alex Dimitrov
"What does the moon know of our language, / our care for its perceived loneliness / which may be its one joy."
The Problem With Rupi Kaur's Poetry
The milk and honey author's use of unspecified collective trauma in her quest to depict the quintessential South Asian female experience feels disingenuous.
Poem: "Buen Esqueleto" By Natalie Scenters-Zapico
"Life is short, & I show them how to talk / to police without opening the door / how /to leave the social security number blank / on the exam, I tell this to mis hijas."
Sherman Alexie on How Trump is Turning the US Into a Reservation
Sherman Alexie on what it means for Trump to treat the entire country like a reservation — and writing a memoir about a great woman who was not a great mother.
It's Time To Find Out Which Famous Poet You're Most Like
There are no bad results when it comes to good poetry.
Just 13 Forgotten About Haikus Written By Chris Pratt In 2011
These speak for themselves.
21 Ridiculously Clever Mugs That Are 100% Funnier Than You
I take my coffee with milk, sugar, and a splash of humor. The products in this post were updated in October 2017.
How Maya Angelou Taught Me To Live A Fuller Life
It wasn’t until Maya Angelou died that the full story of her life opened up to me, and helped me open up my own life in turn.
Poem: "It’s Not Fitness, It’s A Lifestyle" By Nicole Sealey
"I'm waiting for a white woman / in this overpriced Equinox / to mistake me for someone other / than a paying member."
Poem: "On The Night Of The Election" By Franny Choi
"Is there anything that works / that isn’t a machine for killing, / or doomed to collapse, or stolen / from the sweat of the hungry?"
