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Book Review: William Packard’s The Art of Poetry Writing Didn’t Age Well Into Its 30s.
Update 11/20/2024: I have left Medium because their new royalty model made the membership fee no longer worth it. I have moved to Substack. You can find me in the following places:
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In 1992, William Packard’s The Art of Poetry Writing hit bookstores via St. Martin’s Press. Among his list of accolades in the literary arts, Packard published six volumes of poetry, founded New York Quarterly, and was the vice president of The Poetry Society of America before he passed away in 2002.
I purchased my copy of this how-to craft book after attending a writer’s conference during which a workshop facilitator (a middle-aged white man) said it was essential reading for any serious poet.
Because I purchase almost any book recommended to me, I immediately pulled out my phone to order. After sitting on my shelf for five months, I finally cracked it open to absorb all the poetic wisdom this poetic ancestor could instill.
