The Poetry of Beginning

Each year, Poets&Writers profiles 12 up-and-coming poets and their first books. It gives you a glimpse into what the process was like, and unlike, for a dozen blossoming writers.

First, check out the article "The Poetry of Beginning:Twelve Debut Poets Who Got Things Going in 2007" by Kevin Larimer. I think his article is right on target with his insights on the po biz in general. Here's an excerpt:

For unpublished poets who are still plugging away at their first manuscripts every day—before work, once the kids have gone to bed, or on the weekends—it is not a comforting point: The reward for finally getting the debut book published isn't absolute. But just as the process of finishing the first collection can never be scripted, the process of moving on to the second is an uncertain one.

Then, read about these remarkable poets and their debuts. In particular, see Joseph Legaspi's profile for his book Imago. (Woo hoo!)