In this book, David Lehman, the longtime series editor of the Best American Poetry, offers a masterclass in writing in form and collaborative composition. An inspired compilation of his weekly column on the American Scholar website, Next Line, Please makes the case for poetry open to all. Next Line, Please gathers in one place the popular column's plethora of exercises and prompts that Lehman designed to unlock the imaginations of poets and creative writers. He offers his generous and playful mentorship on forms such as the sonnet, haiku, tanka, sestina, limerick, and the cento and shares strategies for how to build one line from the last. This groundbreaking book shows how pop-up crowds of poets can inspire one another, making art, with what poet and guest editor Angela Ball refers to as "spontaneous feats of language."

How can poetry thrive in the digital age? Next Line, Please shows the way. Lehman writes, "There is something magical about poetry, and though we think of the poet as working alone, working in the dark, it is all the better when a community of like-minded individuals emerges, sharing their joy in the written word."

About the Author

David Lehman has served as quizmaster of "Next Line, Please" since The American Scholar launched the feature in May 2014. His books include Poems in the Manner of... and Sinatra's Century: One Hundred Notes on the Man and His World. Lehman is the editor of The Oxford Book of American Poetry and series editor of The Best American Poetry. He teaches in the graduate writing program of the New School in New York City.

Reviews
"What an informative, readable, democratic book! With unassuming brilliance, it both says and demonstrates so much of what is both pleasurable and useful about poetry, and also that poetry belongs to everyone. I can think of no book better to hand to poetry lovers and skeptics alike." -- Matthew Zapruder, author of Why Poetry and Sun Bear
"I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to have read Next Line, Please. There's nothing like the civility and geniality of the respondents. I found myself hooked by the prompts, unable to stop doodling with them." -- Jennifer Clarvoe, Professor of English Emerita, Kenyon College, author of Invisible Tender and Counter-Amore



Book Information
ISBN 9781501715006
Author David Lehman
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Cornell University Press
Publisher Cornell University Press
Weight(grams) 454g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 17mm