80. Archaic Smile by A. E. Stallings
It is her first book, but it is the only book of poetry that ever inspired me to write a fan letter without having met the author first. I think her subsequent books have lived up to the promise of this one and that she will be recognized as one of the consistently great poets of the late 20th-early 21st century. It is always hard to have any perspective on the writers of one's own time, so I started by naming poets who are dead or from a generation before mine, in which case they have developed a reputation that already stands on its own. But I am betting on Alicia to be one of my contemporaries whom later writers will look back on with admiration.
I want to add that I read Wislawa Szymborska's View with a Grain of Sand because of its inclusion on this list, and I am very glad I did. Though I do not know Polish, I am very impressed with Clare Cavanagh's translation as a work of poetry in English. I also read George Starbuck's Desperate Measures because of the recommendation here. I am very impressed with his wit and command of technique, but the content did not leave as deep an impression on me.
Susan
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