Crush – Richard Siken
Crush is, in the best way, like a sad fever dream. It fell into my lap when I was hurting particularly badly over love and the whole book ferociously aches.
Salt Is For Curing – Sonya Vatomsky
Vatomsky’s work is enchantingly dark and richly layered. Good in one sitting, but excellent savored.
Bright Dead Things – Ada Limón
Wild, intense, feminist, intimate. Almost conversational at times, Limón’s poems feel like gifts.
Night Sky With Exit Wounds – Ocean Vuong
This book has received a lot of praise for a good reason. It’s stunning and masterful.
American Sonnets For My Past And Future Assassin – Terrance Hayes
This collection was such a riveting use of language and form that I couldn’t put it down. Important to note that it was written during the first two hundred days of the Trump presidency so the overtones are obviously political.
Trista Mateer is a visual artist, poet, and writer currently based out of New Jersey. She is the author of multiple collections of poetry, including Honeybee (2018) and The Dogs I Have Kissed (2015) which won Goodreads Choice for best poetry the year of its release. You can keep up with her @tristamateer on Instagram and Twitter.