A roundup of poetry bestsellers

Short reviews of five of the bestselling poetry books in the US.

from the April 17, 2007 edition

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Sailing Alone Around the Room, by Billy Collins, Random House, $13.95

Flip through "Sailing Around the Room" and you will easily understand why this book is a bestseller. At his best, Collins elevates the ordinary and makes it memorably resonant; he is a master at subtle humor and imagery that is both striking and familiar. In "Insomnia," he writes that despite his exhaustion "someone inside me will not/ get off his tricycle/ will not stop tracing the same tight circle/ on the same green threadbare carpet." The poem makes one lovely leap after another, ending with the speaker hoping: "I can lift out some curious detail/ that will carry me off to sleep –/ the watch that encircles his pale wrist,/ the expandable band,/ the tiny hands that keep pointing this way and that." This is vintage Billy Collins.

New and Selected Poems: Vol. Two, by Mary Oliver, Beacon Press, $16

Mary Oliver has long been known for her ability to move readers with poems about the natural world. At first glance, Volume 2 seems to be more of the same. Look deeper, however, and you'll see currents shifting. In these poems, 42 of which are new, Oliver seems to be opening up emotionally and spiritually. There is a lovely poem about her partner, to whom she feels so close "that I would not know/ where to drop the knife of/ separation." There are other delights as well, as in "Holding Benjamin," about her dog: "No use to tell him/ that he/ and the raccoon are brothers./ You have your soft ideas about nature,/ he has others."

Acolytes, by Nikki Giovanni, William Morrow, $16.95

A week ago, "Acolytes" was No. 19 on the bestseller list. But the book, which contains 80 poems and prose pieces, has connected with readers because of its blend of familiarity and new directions. The former comes from Giovanni's lifelong commitment to speak for African-Americans, whether she's addressing the injustice of slavery, the devastating effects of racism, or hurricane Katrina. The newness comes from the poet expanding her repertoire and celebrating love, memories, and everyday moments. Many readers will find that "Acolytes" pairs well with "The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni," currently ranked at No. 8. The poems in those pages contain her strongest work and are rooted in history, from the new racial pride blacks feel to the struggles and losses that never seem to leave them.

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