In honor of one of the most influential poems of the 20th century that begins with the line, “April is the cruellest month”, this April check out these biographies about poets, their muses, and their influence. Not a fan of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land or poetry in general? Try out some memoirs and biographies that don’t rhyme, couplet, or break midsentence— Give prose a chance and learn about some of the most influential poets from different eras.
The World Broke in Two: Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, D. H. Lawrence, E. M. Forster and the Year that Changed Literature by Bill Goldstein
Following the lives of some of the most famous modernist writers in 1922, this book chronicles the personal experiences and literary triumphs of Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, D. H. Lawrence, and E. M. Forster during a pivotal year. If you’re interested in how these writers were propelled by the same artistic movements and environments, this will be a fun read for you.
Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver
This collection of autobiographical essays and poetry from renowned Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award contemporary poet, Mary Oliver, deals head on with the concepts of creativity, artistic expression, and finding your way with the help of writers who have come before.
A rare recording of Mary Oliver reading her own poetry Audio ebook
Poet warrior: a memoir by Joy Harjo
Poet Laureate Joy Harjo offers a vivid, lyrical, and inspiring call for love and justice in this contemplation of her trailblazing life. In the second memoir from the first Native American to serve as US poet laureate, Joy Harjo invites us to travel along the heartaches, losses, and humble realizations of her “poet-warrior” road.
Washing my mother’s body: a ceremony for grief print book
Girl warrior: on coming of age print book