13 Poets

Say someone asked me, "I kind of like poetry, but I don't know anything about contemporary poetry. Who should I read?"

I'd say, in no particular order:

1. Rodney Jones
2. Yusef Komunyakaa
3. Lynda Hull
4. Frank Stanford
5. Cornelius Eady
6. Mary Biddinger
7. Philip Levine
8. Jake Adam York
9. Sabrina Orah Mark
10. David Bottoms
11. Mark Jarman
12. Judson Mitcham
13. Joshua Poteat

I tag Steve, Jake, Mary, Justin, and Gary.

UPDATE

Steve & Justin have added some rules to the list, rules that I think I should apply:

• No blog friends
• No real-life friends
• No real-life mentors
• Alive as of this writing
  

So, here's my updated list:

1. Yusef Komunyakaa
2. Lynda Hull
   Scott Cairns
3. Rodney Jones
4. Li-Young Lee
5. Philip Levine
6. Major Jackson
7. Judy Jordan
8. Cornelius Eady
9. Al Maginnes
10. Joshua Poteat
11. David Bottoms
12. Charles Wright
13. Terrence Hayes

ANOTHER UPDATE 5.05.07

Jim Finnegan reminds me that Lynda Hull is dead. How I didn't remember that fact is beyond me. Anyway, I'll remove Hull from the here & now list & add another favorite poet, Scott Cairns.