In a continued effort to read more and cover more poetry, Debutiful wanted to highlight a dozen of the best collections Adam Vitcavage read. This list supplements the Best Debut Books of 2024, but moving forward, poetry will blend in with larger lists typically dominated by prose novels and story collections.
You can purchase a copy of each book by clicking on the title. A small portion of the sale will go into funding Debutiful via Bookshop.org.
Good Dress by Brittany Rogers
In her bold and bodacious debut, Rogers celebrates the resilience of Black women in her hometown of Detroit. She walks a tightrope between the beauty and tragedy of life and pushes poetry in a new direction.
The Girl Who Became a Rabbit by Emilie Menzel
An extended lyrical poem offers insights into the mundane and fantastic. Menzel brings readers into a girl’s transformative world and lets us grow and change along the way. Reading this work was like a warm, welcoming hug.
Yaguareté White by Diego Báez
This is an eloquent and introspective collection that explores diaspora, belonging, and heritage. The poems are beautifully written and also pack a bite to them with a sprinkling of absurdist and humor. Like all great writers, he puts a critical lense on society at large but also himself.
Bad Mexican, Bad American by Jose Hernandez Diaz
Using first-generation experiences throughout the collection, Hernandez Diaz’s surrealism navigates complex cultural identities with empathy and humor. His vivid imagery was a standout throughout each piece.
Saints of Little Faith by Megan Pinto
This collection is very somber, meditative, and quiet. Pinto explores intimate moments about absence and loss through subtle moments. She dives into the spiritual and allows readers to come along on a journey of discovering painful memories through gorgeously constructed fragmented stories.
Besaydoo by Yalie Saweda Kamara
A powerfully moving collection about being a first-generation Sierra Leonean in Oakland. These poems are a door into New America. Kamara strikes each poem with equally gentle and intense language that highlights the emotions she is spilling onto the page.
Asterism by Ae Hee Lee
The emotional depth throughout Asterism allows readers to experience both simple and extraordinary moments with all five senses. Using both lyrical and narrative storytelling, we discover relationships, geography, longing, and the body in clever ways.
Self-Mythology by Saba Keramati
These poems tackle identity, race, and citizenship with striking language that doesn’t but a shine on the uglies of the world. There’s an intensity to these poems that really propels one into the other. They challenged me in ways I didn’t expect.
Coachella Elegy by Christian Gullette
A savvy collection that dances in exquisite scenes that play with dire and menacing themes. Gullette deals with sensitive themes with ease and does so head-on. He does so while placing the California landscapes at the forefront and really transports readers to specific places with ease.
Song of My Softening by Omotara James
Razor sharp. This collection allows pain to ooze off the page and gives readers something to chew on. It is an ode to queer, Black women and shows the toughness as well as the softness of these women. This work is awe-inspiring.
Greater Ghost by Christian J. Collier
The rhythm of Collier’s work is what really got me. He is a master in wordplay and the craft of spoken word. You can hear these poems so crystal clear. He is so insightful with every single line.
The Blue Mimes by Sara Daniele Rivera
A true reckoning. These poems travel through the desert, bringing readers into personal loss through elections of tyrants and global pandemics. There is hope in these poems about dark times and it really helped me heal.
If you’re interested in Debutiful reading your debut book, please have your publicist reach out to Adam directly.
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