1998 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Events
- May 12 — John Montague is named as first holder of The Ireland Chair of Poetry.
- August — English poet and playwright Tony Harrison's film-poem Prometheus is first shown.
- Fall — Skanky Possum poetry magazine founded in Austin, Texas.Samizdat poetry magazine founded in Chicago.
Works published in English
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:Australia">Australian literature">Australia
- Robert Gray, New Selected Poems
- Jennifer Harrison, Dear B
- Frieda Hughes, Wooroloo, English-born Australian poet, originally published in United States by Harper Flamingo
- John Leonard, editor, Australian Verse: An Oxford Anthology, Melbourne: Oxford University Press
- Philip Salom, New and Selected Poems.
- John Tranter, Late Night Radio, Polygon Press
- Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Whirling, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Canada">Canadian literature">Canada
- Gary Barwin, Outside the Hat,
- Stephen Cain, dislexicon
- Anne Carson, Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse ; a New York Times "notable book of the year"
- Margaret Christakos, The Moment Coming
- Don Domanski, Parish of the Psychic Moon
- Louis Dudek, The Poetry of Louis Dudek. Ottawa: The Golden Dog.
- Paul Dutton, Aurealities,
- Michael Holmes, Satellite Dishes from the Future Bakery,
- Sylvia Legris, Iridium Seeds
- Dorothy Livesay, Archive for Our Times: Previously Uncollected and Unpublished Poems of Dorothy Livesay, Irvine Dean ed. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press.
- Michael Ondaatje, Handwriting, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart; New York: Knopf, 1999
- E. J. Pratt, Selected Poems of E. J. Pratt, Sandra Djwa, W.J. Keith, and Zailig Pollock ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Canadian anthologies
- Allan Forrie, Patrick O'Rourke, and Glen Sorestad, editors, In the Clear: A Contemporary Canadian Poetry Anthology, Saskatoon: Thistledown Press
- Kwame Dawes, editor, Wheel and Come Again: An Anthology of Reggae Poetry, Fredericton, New Brunswick: Goose Lane
India">Indian poetry">India, in English">Indian poetry in English">in English
- Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, The Transfiguring Places, Ravi Dayal, New Delhi,
- K. Satchidanandan, How to go to the Tao Temple, Har-Anand Publications, New Delhi.
- Dilip Chitre, The Mountain, Pune: Vijaya Chitre
Ireland">Irish poetry">Ireland
- Dermot Bolger, Taking my Letters Back: New and Selected Poems, Dublin: New Island Books
- Ciaran Carson:
- * The Alexandrine Plan, Oldcastle: The Gallery Press,
- * The Twelfth of Never, Oldcastle: The Gallery Press,
- Peter Fallon, News of the World, Oldcastle: The Gallery Press,
New Zealand">New Zealand literature">New Zealand
- Raewyn Alexander, Concrete, Auckland: Penguin
- Alan Brunton, Moonshine, Bumper Books
- Roger Robinson and Nelson Wattie, editors, The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature, Melbourne; Auckland: Oxford University Press
- Kate Camp, Unfamiliar Legends of the Stars, Victoria University Press
United Kingdom">English poetry">United Kingdom
- Ciarán Carson: The Alexandrine Plan, ; Gallery :Press, Wake Forest University Press
- Carol Ann Duffy, The Pamphlet, Anvil Press Poetry
- Paul Farley, The Boy from the Chemist is Here to See You
- Salena Godden, The Fire People
- Seamus Heaney:
- * Audenesque, Maeght
- * Translator, Beowulf
- * Opened Ground: Poems 1966-1996, Faber & Faber; in the United States, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux; a New York Times "notable book of the year" for 1999
- Paul Henry, The Milk Thief, Seren
- Ted Hughes:
- * Birthday Letters, ; a verse chronicle of the author's relationship with Sylvia Plath, his late wife; a New York Times "notable book of the year"
- * Translator, Phedre
- Jackie Kay, Off Colour United Kingdom
- Peter Levi, Reed Music
- Kevin MacNeil, Love and Zen in the Outer Hebrides, Scottish poet published in Scotland
- Andrew Motion, Selected Poems 1976–1997
- Paul Muldoon, Hay
- Carol Rumens, Holding Pattern
- Jo Shapcott, My Life Asleep
- Jon Stallworthy, ''Rounding the Horn''
Anthologies in the United Kingdom
- Simon Armitage and Robert Crawford, editors, Penguin Book of Poetry from Britain and Ireland Since 1945, Viking,
- Sean O'Brien, editor, The Firebox: Poetry in Britain and Ireland after 1945, anthology
- Lloyd Searwar, editor, They Came in Ships: An Anthology of Indo-Guyanese Prose and Poetry, Leeds: Peepal Tree
Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United Kingdom
- Sean O'Brien, The Deregulated Muse: Essays on Contemporary British and Irish Poetry, criticism
- John Heath-Stubbs, The literary essays of John Heath-Stubbs, edited by A.T. Tolley
- Michael Schmidt, Lives of the Poets, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson
United States">American poetry">United States
- John Ashbery:
- * The Mooring of Starting Out: The First Five Books of Poetry collection of the poet's work from 1956 to 1972; a New York Times "notable book of the year"
- * Wakefulness
- Renée Ashley, The Various Reasons of Light
- Ted Berrigan, Great Stories of the Chair
- Henri Cole, The Visible Man
- Billy Collins, Picnic, Lightning
- Fanny Howe, Q
- Deborah Garrison, A Working Girl Can't Win: And Other Poems, ; a New York Times "notable book of the year"
- Lee Harwood, Morning Light
- Kenneth Koch, Straits: Poems, New York: Knopf
- William Logan, Vain Empires: Poems, ; a New York Times "notable book of the year"
- W. S. Merwin:
- * Translator, East Window: The Asian Translations, translated poems from earlier collections, Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press
- * The Folding Cliffs: A Narrative, a "novel-in-verse" New York: Knopf
- Michael Palmer, The Lion Bridge: Selected Poems 1972-1995, first retrospective of Palmer's work selected by the author himself reprinting much work that had gone out of print
- Carl Phillips, From the Devotions
- Marie Ponsot, The Bird Catcher, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and finalist for the 1999 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
- Frederick Seidel Going Fast: Poems, ; a New York Times "notable book of the year"
- Mark Strand, Blizzard of One: Poems, ; a New York Times "notable book of the year"; by a Canadian native long living in and published in the United States
- Patti Smith, Patti Smith Complete
- James Tate, Shroud of the Gnomes: Poems, ; a New York Times "notable book of the year"
- Richard Tayson, The Apprentice of Fever, winner of the 1997 Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize
- Keith and Rosmarie Waldrop, ''Well Well Reality''
Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United States
- Laurence Breiner, An Introduction to West Indian Poetry, Cambridge University Press, scholarship
- Kenneth Koch, Making Your Own Days: The Pleasures of Reading and Writing Poetry, New York: Scribner
- Eric L. Haralson, editor, Encyclopedia of American Poetry: The Nineteenth Century, Chicago and London: Fitzroy Dearborn
- Mary Oliver, ''Rules for the Dance: A Handbook for Writing and Reading Metrical Verse''
Anthologies in the United States
- Barbara Tran, Monique T. D. Truong, and Luu Truong Khoi, editors, Watermark: Vietnamese American Poetry & Prose, New York: Asian American Writers' Workshop
Poets in ''[The Best American Poetry 1998]''
- Jonathan Aaron
- Agha Shahid Ali
- Dick Allen
- A. R. Ammons
- Daniel Anderson
- James Applewhite
- Craig Arnold
- Sarah Arvio
- John Ashbery
- Frank Bidart
- Robert Bly
- George Bradley
- John Bricuth
- Anne Carson
- Turner Cassity
- Henri Cole
- Billy Collins
- Alfred Corn
- James Cummins
- Thomas M. Disch
- Denise Duhamel
- Lynn Emanuel
- Irving Feldman
- Emily Fragos
- Debora Greger
- Allen Grossman
- Thom Gunn
- Marilyn Hacker
- Rachel Hadas
- Donald Hall
- Joseph Harrison
- Anthony Hecht
- Daryl Hine
- Edward Hirsch
- Richard Howard
- Andrew Hudgins
- Mark Jarman
- Donald Justice
- Brigit Pegeen Kelly
- Karl Kirchwey
- Carolyn Kizer
- Kenneth Koch
- John Koethe
- Rika Lesser
- Phillis Levin
- Philip Levine
- Rebecca McClanahan
- J. D. McClatchy
- Heather McHugh
- Sandra McPherson
- W. S. Merwin
- Robert Mezey
- A. F. Moritz
- Thylias Moss
- William Mullen
- Eric Ormsby
- Jacqueline Osherow
- Robert Pinsky
- Reynolds Price
- Wyatt Prunty
- Stephen Sandy
- Alan Shapiro
- Robert B. Shaw
- Charles Simic
- Mark Strand
- James Tate
- Sidney Wade
- Derek Walcott
- Rosanna Warren
- Rachel Wetzsteon
- Susan Wheeler
- Richard Wilbur
- C. K. Williams
- Greg Williamson
- Charles Wright
Works published in other languages
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:Denmark">Danish poetry">Denmark
- Klaus Høeck; Denmark:
- * Hjem, publisher: Gyldendal
- * Honeymoon, publisher: Gyldendal
- Inger Christensen, ''Samlede digte''
French language
France">French poetry">France
- Olivier Barbarant, Odes dérisoires et quelques autres un peu moins, publisher: Editions Champ Vallon,
- Salah Stetie, Fievre et guerison de l'icone
- Jean-Michel Maulpoix, ''Domaine public''
India">Indian poetry">India
Listed in alphabetical order by first name:- Amarjit Chandan, Chhanna, Navyug, New Delhi; Punjabi-language
- Anamika, Anushtup, Delhi: Kitab Ghar; Hindi-language
- Gagan Gill, Yah Akanksha Samay Nahin, New Delhi: Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi, 1998, Bharatiya Jnanpith; Hindi-language
- K. Satchidanandan, Apoornam, ; Malayalam-language
- Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, Ban Sngewthuh ia ka Poitri, Shillong: Gautam Brothers; Khasi-language
- Mallika Sengupta; Hindi-language:
- * Meyeder Aa Aaa Ka Kha, Kolkata: Prativas Publication
- * Translator, Akaler Madhye Saras, translation from the original Hindi of Kedarnath Singh, Kolkata: Sahitya Akademi
- Manushya Puthiran, Itamum Iruppum, Nagercoil: Kalachuvadu Pathipagam, Tamil language
- Prathibha Nandakumar, Kavadeyata, Bangalore: Kannada Sangha, Christ College
- Raghavan Atholi, Mozhimattam, Kottayam: Sahitya Pravarthaka Cooperative Society
- Rajendra Bhandari, Kshar/Akshar, Gangtok, Sikkim: Jana Paksha Prakashan; Nepali-language
- Varavara Rao, Aa Rojulu, Hyderabad: Akruti Printers
Poland">Polish poetry">Poland
- Stanisław Barańczak, Chirurgiczna precyzja, Krakow: a5
- Zbigniew Herbert:
- * 89 wierszy,, Kraków: a5
- * Epilog burzy, Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie
- Ewa Lipska:
- * Godziny poza godzinami, selected poems, Warsaw: PIW
- * Życie zastępcze, Kraków: Wydawnictwo literackie
- Jan Twardowski:
- * Bóg prosi o miłość - Gott fleht um Liebe, Krakow, Poland: Wydawnictwo Literackie
- * Niebo w dobrym humorze, Warsaw: PIW
- Adam Zagajewski, Trzej aniołowie, Three Angels Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie
Serbia">Serbian literature">Serbia
- Dejan Stojanović, Krugovanje: 1978–1987, Second Edition, Narodna knjiga–Alfa, Beograd
Spain">Spanish poetry">Spain
- Matilde Camus, ''Fuerza creativa''
Other languages
- Christoph Buchwald, general editor, and Marcel Beyer, guest editor, Jahrbuch der Lyrik 1998/99, publisher: Beck; anthology
- Ndoc Gjetja, Dhjata ime ; Albania
- Haim Gouri Ha-Shirim, in two volumes by an Israeli writing in Hebrew
- Chen Kehua, Yinwei siwang er jingying de fanfu shipian Chinese
- Maria Luisa Spaziani, La traversata dell'oasi, Italy
- Rahman Henry, Banbhojoner Moto Aundhokar, Bengali
Awards and honors
Australia">Australian poetry">Australia
- C. J. Dennis Prize for Poetry: Coral Hull, Broken Land
- Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: No awards were presented this year
- Mary Gilmore Prize: Lucy Dougan, ''Memory Shell''
Canada">Canadian poetry">Canada
- Archibald Lampman Award: Sandra Nicholls, Woman of Sticks, Woman of Stones
- Atlantic Poetry Prize: Carmelita McGrath, To the New World
- Gerald Lampert Award: Mark Sinnett, The Landing
- 1998 Governor General's Awards: Stephanie Bolster, White Stone: The Alice Poems ; Suzanne Jacob, La Part de feu / Le Deuil de la rancune
- Pat Lowther Award: Barbara Nickel, The Gladys Elegies
- Prix Alain-Grandbois: Paul Chanel Malenfant, Fleuves
- Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize: Patricia Young, What I Remember from My Time on Earth
- Prix Émile-Nelligan: Tony Tremblay, ''Rue Pétrole-Océan''
India">Indian poetry">India
- Sahitya Akademi Award : Arun Kamal for Naye Ilake Mein
- Poetry Society India National Poetry Competition : K. Srilata for In Santa Cruz, Diagnosed Home Sick
New Zealand">New Zealand literature">New Zealand
- Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement:
- Montana New Zealand Book Awards First-book award for poetry: Kapka Kassabova, All Roads Lead to the Sea, Auckland University Press
United Kingdom">English poetry">United Kingdom
- Cholmondeley Award: Roger McGough, Robert Minhinnick, Anne Ridler, Ken Smith
- Eric Gregory Award: Mark Goodwin, Joanne Limburg, Patrick McGuinness, Kona Macphee, Esther Morgan, Christiania Whitehead, Frances Williams
- Forward Poetry Prize Best Collection: Ted Hughes, Birthday Letters
- Forward Poetry Prize Best First Collection: Paul Farley, The Boy from the Chemist is Here to See You
- Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry: Les Murray
- T. S. Eliot Prize : Ted Hughes, Birthday Letters
- Whitbread Award for poetry and for book of the year: Ted Hughes, Birthday Letters
- National Poetry Competition : Caroline Carver for ''Horse Underwater''
United States">American poetry">United States
- Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize: Shara McCallum, The Water Between Us
- Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry: X.J. Kennedy
- American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Drama: Horton Foote
- American Academy of Arts and Letters: Robert Fagles elected a member of the Literature Department
- American Book Award: Angela Y. Davis, Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday
- American Book Award: Allison Hedge Coke, Dog Road Woman, Coffee House Press "American Book Award 1998"
- AML Award for poetry to Alex Caldiero for Various Atmospheres: Poems and Drawings
- Bernard F. Connors Prize for Poetry: Sherod Santos, "Elegy for My Sister", and Neil Azevedo, "Caspar Hauser Songs"
- Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry: Frank Bidart, Desire
- National Book Award for poetry: Gerald Stern, This Time: New and Selected Poems
- Poet Laureate of Virginia: Joseph Awad, two year appointment 1998 to 2000
- Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Charles Wright, Black Zodiac
- Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize: W.S. Merwin
- Wallace Stevens Award: A. R. Ammons
- William Carlos Williams Award: John Balaban, Locusts at the Edge of Summer: New and Selected Poems, Judge: Robert Phillips
- Whiting Awards: Nancy Eimers, Daniel Hall, James Kimbrell, Charles Harper Webb, Greg Williamson
- Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets: Charles Simic
Births
- Amanda Gorman, American poet
Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding " in poetry" article:- January 23 — John Forbes, 47, Australian poet
- February 8
- * Enoch Powell, 85, British MP from 1950 to 1987, classicist and poet
- * Niall Sheridan, 85, Irish poet, fiction writer and broadcaster
- March 23 — Hilda Morley, 81, American poet, after a fall
- April 19 — Octavio Paz, 84, Mexican writer, poet, diplomat and winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize in Literature
- April 21 — Ivan Chtcheglov, 65, French political theorist, activist and poet
- April 30 — Nizar Qabbani, 75, Syrian diplomat, poet and publisher of Arabic poetry
- May 29 — Philip O'Connor, 81, English writer and surrealist poet
- June 25 — John Malcolm Brinnin, 81, American poet and critic
- July 1 — Martin Seymour-Smith, 70, English poet, critic and biographer
- July 14 — Miroslav Holub, 75, Czech poet and immunologist
- July 28 — Zbigniew Herbert, 73, influential Polish poet, essayist and moralist
- August 26 — Ryūichi Tamura 田村隆, 75, Japanese Shōwa period poet, essayist and translator of English-language novels and poetry
- October 25 – Dick Higgins, 60, English-born poet, composer and early Fluxus artist with ties to the Language poets
- October 28 — Ted Hughes, 68, English poet, Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom since 1984
- Date not known
- * Aimee Joan Grunberger, 44, American poet, of cancer
- * Michalis Katsaros, Greek poet