The Essential Ars Poetica Book List
As poets and lovers of literature of all sorts, people often ask us what we’re reading, what we recommend, and what we want to read next. While the list could go on for several pages, we’ve distilled it into a collection of Essential Ars Poetica reads - from environmentalism to equality activism to just straight up good poetry, these books are what we’re all about.
We’re also big ol’ proponents of supporting small businesses and shopping local, which is why we’re hosting said collection on Bookshop.org. When you shop from this magnificent site, you’re helping support local bookstores as well as the fabulous authors we’re spotlighting. You get a great book, writers get paid, and independent bookstores get to stay open - sounds like a win win win in our book (pun definitely intended).
Not sure where to start? Here’s a breakdown of each book in the list:
All about Love: New Visions by bell hooks
Oh, Ms. hooks. A giant among poets, authors, and activists, hooks’ philosophical legacy will be a defining one of her generation and those to come. This beautiful reflection and excavation of what “love” actually means, what it should feel like, and how to build ourselves a world more deeply rooted in love is a must-read for every human being, in our humble opinion.
Equally Wed: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your LGBTQ+ Wedding by Kirsten Palladino
We love typing at weddings! As a queer-owned company (and just as humans who generally care about other humans), marriage equality will always be one of our core values. For many LGBTQ+ folks, especially those who grew up not knowing if they’d ever be able to get married, traditional wedding rituals and practices don’t quite resonate. This book is an excellent jumping off guide for those who know they want a wedding, but also know it might not look like their parents’ and grandparents’ traditional weddings of the past. We, of course, love to be included whenever folks are thinking of novel entertainment to add to the celebration of their union.
Poems about Trees
Did you know we plant a tree for every poem we type? We’re big environmentalists and believe wholeheartedly in the importance of reforestation. And as it turns out, we’re far from the only poets inspired by trees and nature. This collection compiles some of the greatest tree poems of all time into a forest-loving reverence of the natural world.
Duende by Tracy K. Smith
“Duende,” as Federico García Lorca penned it refers to “the creative and ecstatic power an artist seeks to channel from within.” This collection of poems focuses on the artist’s complicated relationship with such a force, as well as the understanding of Smith’s self in relation to politics, folk traditions, suppression, and survival. Run, do not walk, to pick up a copy.
Green Wedding: Planning Your Eco-Friendly Celebration by Mireya Navarro
As a group of folks who love weddings and preserving the environment, you bet we lose our minds when we’re tasked with typing at a specifically eco-conscious wedding. And as Navarro points out, throwing an eco wedding is not as difficult or unattainable as it might seen! If you’re in the wedding industry or planning a celebration of love for yourself and wondering how you can make your momentous occasion as green as possible, definitely give this a read - and call us to come work your event! ;)
What Kind of Woman: Poems by Kate Baer
Baer has an unbelievable gift for expressing the specific yet strikingly universal experiences that come with living as a woman in this world. To be read when you want to shout your womanhood from the tops of mountains, and for when you want to bury it in a cave and walk through the world unburdened by the violences it begets.
Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward
Fans of the visceral, the striking, the core-cutting, get your hands on a copy of Daley-Ward’s “Bone.” Daley-Wards poems range from topics of religion and desire to navigating the world as a first-generation British Black woman to the tender vulnerability of falling in love. For those who crave a journey deep into the marrow of all it means to be.
The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems... by Leah Thomas
One cannot truly call themselves an environmentalist without also adopting practices of intersectionality. Environmental issues affect marginalized communities the most, and one cannot truly help the planet without navigating issues of racism and privilege. No matter where you are on you anti-racism, equity, and environmental journey, Thomas’ work should be on your shelf.
In the Midst of Loving by Cheeraz Gormon
An epic collection of poems about life and love, Gormon’s anthology spans 14 years of experiences, growth, change, and reckoning. For those searching for a shift (or several) in perspective, or just some really freaking good poetry.
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
If we had to pick a second-favorite book genre (poetry being first, of course), collections of personal essays would come out on top, and Gay is one of the foremost essayists of our time, if we do say so ourselves. With themes spanning feminism, significant cultural moments, womanhood, sexuality, race, and much more, pick up a copy if you’d like to learn a thing or two while also being deliciously entertained.
The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde by Audre Lorde
To the Greeks, Apollo was the god of poetry; to us, Audre Lorde just might be the goddess. For those just building their poetry book collection and avid poetry digesters alike, we wholeheartedly believe that Lorde’s anthology should be prominently displayed and opened often.
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Many of us at Ars Poetica have a penchant for the beatnick lifestyle - especially those of us based in New York. A magnificent reverie on Smith’s early life as an artist, especially in relation to her companion Robert Mapplethorp, Smith paints a delectably romantic picture of NYC artist life in the 70s, back when one could actually afford to live at the Chelsea hotel.
Women: A Novella by Chloe Caldwell
Much like “All About Love,” Caldwell’s novella reads like something in between narration and poetry. A fictional depiction of Caldwell’s real life relationships with women, from romantic parters to her mother, we recommend this book especially for WLW or anyone curious about exploring the shadowy depths of their romantic attractions.
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Interested in deepening your relationship to the natural world and environmentalism, but not a fan of academic texts or nonfiction? The Overstory is for you. The interwoven stories range from antebellum New York to the Pacific Northwest’s Timber Wars, and remind us that living among us at every turn is a vast, mysteriously connected land of life.
Bright Dead Things: Poems by Ada Limón
When folks ask for one poet they should read right now, we often recommend Ada Limón. Her lyrical, poignant words have a way of grabbing your heart by the reins and pulling you out to sea - and we find that once you start reading Limón’s work, you’re quite thrilled to be taken wherever her words lead. For anyone craving permission to feel, and anyone working to make sense of this world that is "disorderly, and marvelous, and ours.”
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They... by Peter Wohlleben
Have we mentioned how much we love trees?? But really, it’s more than just nature conservation that makes us passionate about our leafy neighbors, it’s how genuinely fascinating, magical, and cool they are. Did you know trees communicate to one another? We like to think they speak in tree poetry, sometimes.
If you, too, would love to nerd out about these fantastic organisms we get to share the planet with, this is the pick for you.
Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good
This curated collection of essays, conversations, and excerpts by adrienne maree brown cracks open our relationship to pleasure, and how necessary pleasure and joy really is to enact real social change. Brown’s narration and curation is empathetic, knowledgeable, curious, and grounded in practice, and serves as a perfect mix of inspiration and understanding for those of us who want to leave the world and its living conditions a little (or hopefully a lot) better than we found it.
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
Last but absolutely and never least, if you’re going to pick up one feminist text to better understand the principles and your place in the movement, we recommend starting here. Intersectionality is non-optional in our understanding of feminism, and yet many of us on the AP team have benefitted from exclusionary white feminist ideals for most of our lives. To truly stop oppressing other women, our feminism cannot be white-centered or trans exclusionary, and Kendall’s magnificent call to action is a must-read for any stage of your feminist eduction.
Have suggestions for something we should add to the list? Email tallie@arspoetica.us. In the meantime, enjoy the reading!
