[Andrew Szilvasy]

Hi all,

I'm looking for some help from the brain trust. I about to start teaching sonnets (Spenser and Shakespeare to start) to my 10th grade course. The project I want to give them is one where they choose 1 of 4 poets. Whatever poet they select, I want there to be 3 sonnets they are responsible for. They will then have a one on one conversation with me about the poems as an assessment.

I'm looking for (a) traditional sonnets, (b) written in the last 30 years if possible, and for a (c) diversity of authors (male/female, white/non-white). Obviously the poet should have at least 3 traditional sonnets.

Any suggestions? I have some ideas, but I'm hoping to be surprised.

[Maryann Corbett]

I'm surprised you haven't had replies sooner. At the risk of stating the nonsurprising answers:

Start with A.M. Juster, who has won the Nemerov three times. He has a web site; probably all the winning sonnets are there.

This list of past winners of the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award will give you a bunch of names of people writing currently who write plenty of traditional sonnets.

Take note of the names of the judges, too; that's another set of people who write sonnets.

Other ideas off the top of my head:

Tony Barnstone (and Google will probably bring you to his article on the contemporary sonnet in a past Cortland Review, which will suggest a few more names)

Rachel Hadas
Michael Cantor
Rick Mullin

Editing back to add:
Mark Jarman (see especially Unholy Sonnets)

And maybe get hold of the Burt/Mikics book The Art of the Sonnet.

I hope other people will chime in here; good luck to you and your students.

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

This might be of use:

http://marymeriam.blogspot.com/2013/...e-sonnets.html

[Andrew Szilvasy]

Maryann and Andrew,

Thanks so much for your suggestions. I'd been thinking about R. S. Gwynn's triptych "Body Bags" as one option, and these suggestions are definitely helpful in widening my purview. I appreciate it. I'm ordering Irresistible Sonnets right after I finish typing this up.

Any other suggestions of favorites would be great.

[Roger Slater]

You couldn't go wrong with Espaillat, Stallings or Tufariello.

[Jennifer Reeser]

You ask for racial diversity -- I have three Native American Indian sonnets at an online French revue out of Paris, "Levure Litteraire." They are "The Chosen One," "Indian Angel," and "Navajo and Cherokee," here:

http://levurelitteraire.com/jennifer-reeser-211/

Jennifer

[Michael Cantor]

A huge (oh God, I can't believe I used that word) number of outstanding sonnets appeared in 14by14 from 2007 through 2011. Here's a link to the archives. Most of the usual suspects are in there numerous times. Going through them are a bit of a pain, since they're chronological, not alphabetical, but if you develop a student or students who are sonnet nuts - and write in a modern voice - they might appreciate the lead. And looking at the archives reminds me that Rose Kelleher is another name to be considered.

[Maryann Corbett]

Realizing that I haven't done well with the diversity angle, I'd like to add Marilyn Nelson and Allison Joseph.

[Duncan Gillies MacLaurin]

Perhaps, Andrew, you might consider a third category under c), namely American/non-American. Or is it just fine with an all-American line-up?

Duncan

[David Anthony]

Interesting post and bound to generate a lot of replies.