Southeastern College

FAMOUS POETS
Contemporary Literature
From looking at course syllabi alone, one
m i g h t b e l i e v e t h a t p o e t r y c a n o n l y b e wr i t t e n
b y p e o p l e w h o h a v e b e e n d e a d f o r 5 0 y e a r s.
However, there’s a whole generation of
w r i t e r s o u t t h e r e c r e a t i n g wo r k , r i g h t n o w .
H e r e a r e f i v e l i v i n g p o e t s wo r t h y o f y o u r
attention.
Ocean Vuong
Vietnamese-American poet Ocean
Vuong explores his family history, the
effects of war and trauma, and the
complicated dynamics of love.
V u o n g ’ s c o l l e c t i o n “ N i g h t S k y wi t h
Exit Wounds” is a great place to start
for anyone who wants to start
reading poetry.
Quote
“They say nothing lasts forever but
t h e y ' r e j u s t s c a r e d i t wi l l l a s t l o n g e r
than they can love it.”
― Ocean Vuong, On Earth We're
Briefly Gorgeous
Ada Limón
Ada Limón’s grasp of place, her quiet
r e v e l a t i o n s , a n d h e r f l o wi n g , n a r r a t i v e
style make her work relatable.
Limón’s most recent collection, “The
Carrying,” is incredible, as is her 2015
c o l l e c t i o n “ B r i g h t D e a d Th i n g s . ”
Quote
“If we could light up the room with
pain, we’d be such a glorious fire.”
― Ada Limon, Bright Dead Things
Warsan Shire
Warsan Shire explores themes of
femininity, immigration, and belonging
with a direct narrative style.
Quote
“My alone feels so good, I'll only have
you if you're sweeter than my
solitude.”
― Warsan Shire
Richard Siken
The cinematic imagery, strong
n a r r a t i v e v o i c e , a n d d r e a ml i k e q u a l i t y
of Richard Siken’s writing pull the
reader directly into the confusion and
desperation of love.
Quote
“We have not touched the stars,
nor are we forgiven, which brings us back
to the hero’s shoulders and the
gentleness that comes,
not from the absence of violence, but
despite
the abundance of it.”
― Richard Siken, Crush
Maggie Nelson
One of Nelson’s most special works
is “Bluets,” a collection of connected
fragments exploring love and loss
through an obsession with the color
blue.
Quote
“ M o s t l y I h a v e f e l t m y s e l f b e c o mi n g a
servant of sadness. I am still looking
for the beauty in that.”
― Maggie Nelson, Bluets
Thank you
for joining us in class today

- Nylled Kelvin Nacuray