Boston Poets Launch City of Notions, Boston's First Anthology of Poetry

Posted on July 29, 2017

Boston poets collaborated on Boston's first anthology of poetry. The poetry collection is called "City of Notions." The name comes from a 19th century nickname for Boston. The poets assembled in the McKim Courtyard of the Boston Public Library to read their poems. The anthology was edited by Boston poet laureate Danielle Legros Georges.

The Press Herald reports that former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky is one of the contributors. Other contributers incldued Mary Oliver, Margaret Atwood, Gail Mazur, Nick Flynn, Stephen Burt, and Julia Alvarez. There were nearly sixty contributors. The Boston Public Library says the collection "salutes aspects of everyday life in Boston: City Hall, Mass Ave., the MBTA, Storrow Drive, the Boston Marathon, the Star Market."

A listing for the 132 page "City of Notions" can be found here on the Boston Public Library website. The listing description says, "The poems speak to Boston's many diversities, of people and places, styles and perspectives. They make you feel life in Boston, in all the joys and pains of our unique landscapes, culture, and history. They show us a Boston we recognize but could never describe in any other way but through art. They expand the conversation."

The Boston anthology is a great idea. More cities should launch poetry anthologies.