EKF and I procured 12 books of poetry while in Seattle the past few days and on the way back we held a poetry book tournament. In the first round we read aloud the first poem of each book and pitted them against one another, one on one on one. Only one of three advanced to the second round. In the second round, the semi-finals, we read aloud each book's second poem, one on one, and that book advanced to the finals. In the finals, we read aloud the book's third poem. I would encourage you to do the same this weekend with random books from your shelf and show me your results. 

Here are our results:

ROUND 1

Hat on a Pond (Dara Wier)

v

Oubliette (Peter Richards)

v

Something I Expected to Be Different (Joshua Beckman)

Winner: Something I Expected to Be Different (Joshua Beckman)

Selected Poems (Pierre Reverdy)

v

Quill, Solitary Apparition (Barbara Guest)

v

Indeed I Was Pleased With The World (Mary Ruefle)

Winner: Indeed I Was Pleased With The World (Mary Ruefle)

Plainwater (Anne Carson)

v

The Endearment (Joe Wenderoth)

v

Gentle Reader! (Beckman, McCann, Rohrer)

Winner: Plainwater (Anne Carson)

Rise Up (Matthew Rohrer)

v

Terrain Vague (Richard Meier)

v

So We Have Been Given Time Or (Sawako Nakayasu)

Winner: So We Have Been Given Time Or (Sawako Nakayasu)

ROUND 2:

Something I Expected to be Different (Joshua Beckman)

v

Plainwater (Anne Carson)

Winner: Plainwater

So We Have Been Given Time Or (Sawako Nakayasu)

v

Indeed I Was Pleased with the World (Mary Ruefle)

Winner: Indeed I Was Pleased with the World 

FINALS

Plainwater

v

Indeed I Was Pleased with the World

Winner: Plainwater (Anne Carson)