Allen Ginsberg crowned "Majelis King" in Prague on May Day.Jason Shinder, an American poet, expands a New York City Y.M.C.A. writing education program nationwide, thereby founding the Y.M.C.A. National Writer’s Voice program, one of the country’s largest networks of literary-arts centers, with 24 locations by 2008. Writers who teach in the program include poets Adrienne Rich and Galway Kinnell, novelists Michael Cunningham and E. L. Doctorow, and playwright Wendy Wasserstein.Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:
Jennifer Maiden:Bastille Day, NLASelected Poems of Jennifer Maiden, PenguinThe Winter Baby, Angus & RobertsonLes Murray, Dog Fox Field Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1990; Carcanet, 1991 and New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1993Chris Wallace-Crabbe:For Crying Out Loud, Oxford: Oxford University PressPoetry and Belief (scholarship), Hobart: University of TasmaniaDionne Brand, No Language is NeutralGeorge Elliott Clarke, Whylah Falls, Vancouver: Polestar, ISBN 0-919591-57-4 (revised edition, 2000 ISBN 1-896095-50-X)A. E. Davidson, Studies on Canadian Literature (scholarship), CanadaLouis Dudek, Continuation II. Montreal: Véhicule.George Johnston, Endeared by Dark: The Collected PoemsA.M. Klein, Complete Poems.Toronto: University of Toronto Press.A.M. Klein, Doctor Dwarf and Other Poems for Children. Kingston, ON: Quarry Press.Archibald Lampman, Selected Poetry of Archibald Lampman, Michael Gnarowski ed. (Ottawa: Tecumseh). ISBN 978-0-919662-15-5James Reaney, Performance Poems.Michael Redhill, Impromptu Feats of Balance, Don Mills, Ontario: Wolsak & WynnAjmer Rode, Poems at my Doorstep, by a Punjabi poet living and published in Canada and writing in English; Vancouver: Caitlin Press, ISBN 0-920576-31-1Ricardo Sternberg, Invention of Honey, Montreal: Signal EditionsPhyllis Webb, Hanging FireDom Moraes, Serendip ( Poetry in English ) .Eunice de Souza, Ways of Belonging: Selected Poems ( Poetry in English ), Edinburgh: Polygon, United KingdomSudeep Sen, The Lunar Visitations ( Poetry in English ), Indian poet writing in English, published in the United States and India; White Swan Books, New York, 1990; ISBN 1-878122-00-2, (reprinted in 1991, New Delhi: Rupa)Ireland
Eavan Boland, Outside History, including "The Latin Lesson" and "Midnight Flowers", Carcanet PressPat Boran:History and Promise (IUP)The Unwound Clock (Dedalus)Ciarán Carson, Belfast Confetti, Bloodaxe, Wake Forest University Press, Irish poet published in the United KingdomPaul Durcan, Daddy, DaddyPadraic Fallon, Collected Poems, introduction by Seamus Heaney, Oldcastle: The Gallery Press, ISBN 978-1-85235-052-9 published posthumouslySeamus Heaney:The Tree Clock, Linen Hall LibraryNew Selected Poems 1966-1987, Faber & FaberThe Redress of Poetry, criticismMichael D. Higgins, The BetrayalPaul Muldoon, Madoc, including "Cauliflowers", Faber and Faber, Irish poet published in the United KingdomEilean Ni Chuilleanain, The Magdalene Sermon, including "The Informant", Oldcastle: The Gallery PressNew Zealand
Allen Curnow, Selected Poems 1940–1989Bill Manhire, The Old Man's ExampleFrank McKay, Life of James K. Baxter, Auckland: Oxford University Press; called the "standard biography" of New Zealand's "probably New Zealand's best-known poet"Cilla McQueen, Berlin Diary, winner of the 1991 New Zealand Book Award for PoetryDannie Abse, Remembrance of Crimes PastEavan Boland, Outside HistoryCiarán Carson: Belfast Confetti, Bloodaxe, Wake Forest University Press, Irish poet published in the United KingdomCary Archard, editor, Poetry Wales: 25 Years, Seren, an anthologyDonald Davie, Collected PoemsPaul Durcan, Daddy, DaddyCarol Ann Duffy, The Other Country, Anvil Press Poetry (poetry)Padraic Fallon, Collected Poems, introduction by Seamus Heaney, published posthumouslyElaine Feinstein, City Music, HutchinsonTony HarrisonLosing TouchThe Trackers of OxyrhynchusSeamus Heaney:The Tree Clock, Linen Hall LibraryNew Selected Poems 1966-1987, Faber & FaberThe Redress of Poetry, criticismJohn Heath-Stubbs:The Game of Love and DeathSelected PoemsJohn Hegley, Glad to Wear Glasses (glad to have ears)Adrian Henri, Box, and Other PoemsAlan Jenkins, GreenheartDerek Mahon, The Chinese Restaurant in Portrush: Selected Poems. Gallery PressGlyn Maxwell, Tale of the Mayor's SonEdwin Morgan, Collected PoemsBrian Patten, Collected PoemsRuth Pitter, Collected Poems, introduction by Elizabeth JenningsPeter Redgrove, Dressed as for a Tarot PackPeter Scupham, Watching the PerseidsR.S. Thomas, CounterpointHugo Williams, Self-Portrait with a SlideElizabeth Alexander, The Venus HottentotMaya Angelou, I Shall Not be MovedFrank Bidart, In the Western Night: Collected Poems 1965–90 (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)Philip Booth, Selves, Viking PenguinGeorge F. Butterick and Richard Blevins, editors, Charles Olson and Robert Creeley: The Complete Correspondence, ninth and last volume published this year (first volume published in 1980), Santa Barbara, California, biography and criticismMaxine Chernoff, Leap Year Day: New & Selected Poems (Another Chicago Press)Alice Fulton, Powers of CongressDavid Graham, Second Wind, Texas Tech University PressDavid Lehman, Operation Memory, Princeton University PressThomas Lux, The Drowned River, Houghton MifflinJean Marzollo, Pretend You're a CatMary Oliver, House of LightPeter Oresick, Definitions (West End Press) and Working Classics (University of Illinois Press)Mark Strand, The Continuous Life, Canadian native living in and published in the United StatesDerek Walcott, OmerosRosmarie Waldrop, Peculiar Motions (Kelsey St. Press)Reed Whittemore, The Past, the Future, the Present: Poems Selected and NewMichael James Hutt, editor and translator, Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature, University of California PressPeter H. Lee, editor, Modern Korean Literature, including poetry, University of Hawai'i PressEdward Morin, editor, The Red Azalea: Chinese Poetry since the Cultural Revolution, University of Hawai'i PressThese 75 poets were included in The Best American Poetry 1990, edited by David Lehman with Jorie Graham, guest editor:
Ramabai Espinet, Creation Fire: A CAFRA Anthology of Caribbean Women's PoetryDerek Walcott, Omeros, St. Lucia poet living in the United StatesListed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:
Denise Desautels, Leçons de Venise ("Venice Lessons"), about three sculptures by Michel Goulet, Saint-Lambert: Le NoroîtSuzanne Jacob, Filandere Cantabile, Paris: MarvalAbdellatif Laabi, Moroccan author writing in and published in France:Tous les déchirements. Messidor, Paris (épuisé)translator, La Poésie palestinienne contemporaine, an anthology translated from the original Arabic; Paris: Éditions Messidortranslator, L'Espace du Noûn, translated in collaboration with Leïla Khatib from the original Arabic of Hassan Hamdane; Paris: Éditions MessidorAttila Balogh, Versek ("Poems")György Petri, Valami ismeretlenGábor Tompa, Készenlét ("Alertness"), BudapestListed in alphabetical order by first name:
Joy Goswami, Kabita-Songroho, Vol. 1, Kolkata: Ananda Publishers, ISBN 81-7066-205-2 (six reprints by 2001); Bengladeshi-languageK. Satchidanandan, Kayattam, ("The Ascent"); Malayalam-languageVaidehi, pen name of Janaki Srinivasa Murthy, Bindu Bindige, Sagara: Akshara Prakashana; Kannada-languageVaravara Rao (better known as "VV"), Muktakantam or Muktakantham ("Free Throat"), Vijayawada: Samudram Prachuranalu; Telugu-languageYash Sharma, Jo Tere Man Chitt Laggi Ja ("Whatever Touches Your Heart and Souls"), winner of the Sahitya Academy Award; Dogri-languagePoland
Stanisław Barańczak:159 wiersze 1968-88 ("159 Poems"), Kraków: ZnakTablica z Macondo. Osiemnascie prob wytlumaczenia, po co i dlaczego sie pisze ("A License Plate from Macondo: Eighteen Attempts at Explaining Why One Writes"), criticism; London: AneksZbigniew Herbert, Elegia na odejście ("Elegy for the Departure"), Paris: Instytut LiterackiEwa Lipska, Strefa ograniczonego postoju, ("Limited Standing Zone"); Warsaw: CzytelnikEugeniusz Tkaczyszyn-Dycki, Nenia i inne wierszeJan Twardowski,Tak ludzka, Poznań: Księgarnia św. WojciechAdam Zagajewski:Płótno, Paris: Zeszyty LiterackiePłótno, Paris: Zeszyty LiterackieMatilde Camus, El color de mi cristal ("The colour of my glasses")Christoph Buchwald, general editor, and Karl Mickel, guest editor, Jahrbuch der Lyrik 1990/91 ("Poetry Yearbook 1990/91"), publisher: Luchterhand; anthology; GermanyMircea Cărtărescu, The Levant (Levantul), RomaniaLo Fu (poet) (Luo Fu), Chinese (Taiwan):Nirvana of AngelsHouse of MidnightNuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Pharaoh's Daughter, including "Fear Suaithinseach", "An Bhabog Bhriste", "An Bhean Mhidhilis", and "Ceist na Teangan", Oldcastle: The Gallery Press, Gaelic-language, IrelandMaria Luisa Spaziani, Giovanna d'Arco, ItalyC. J. Dennis Prize for Poetry: Robert Adamson, The Clean DarkKenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: Robert Adamson, The Clean DarkMary Gilmore Prize: Kristopher Rassemussen - In the Name of the FatherGerald Lampert AwardArchibald Lampman AwardSee 1990 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.Pat Lowther AwardPrix Alain-GrandboisCholmondeley Award: Kingsley Amis, Elaine Feinstein, Michael O'NeillEric Gregory Award: Nicholas Drake, Maggie Hannan, William Park, Jonathan Davidson, Lavinia Greenlaw, Don Paterson, John WellsQueen's Gold Medal for Poetry: Sorley MacleanAgnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize: Debra Allbery, Walking DistanceAiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry: W. S. MerwinAML Award for poetry to Loretta Randall Sharp for "Doing It"Bernard F. Connors Prize for Poetry: Christopher Logue, "Kings"Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry: James Merrill, The Inner RoomFrost Medal: Denise Levertov / James LaughlinNational Book Award for Poetry: No prize givenPoet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress: Mark StrandPulitzer Prize for Poetry: Charles Simic: The World Doesn't EndRuth Lilly Poetry Prize: Hayden CarruthWhiting Awards: Emily Hiestand, Dennis NurkseFellowship of the Academy of American Poets: William MeredithBirth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
March 13 – Teiko Tomita (born 1894), Japanese-born American poet who wrote in JapaneseMay 14 – Mary Oppen, 82 (born 1908), American poet, activist, artist, photographer and writer, wife of George OppenOctober 12 – Nagai Tatsuo 永井龍男, used the pen-name of "Tomonkyo" for his poetry (born 1904), Japanese, Showa period novelist, short-story writer, haiku poet, editor and journalistNovember 7 – Lawrence Durrell, 78 (born 1912), English novelist, poet, dramatist and travel writerNovember 11 – Yiannis Ritsos (born 1909), GreekAlso:Frances Chung (born 1950), Chinese AmericanNikos Karouzos (born 1926), GreekJohn Ormond (born 1923), Welsh poet and journalist 