The only publication of its kind, "Best New Poets" is an annual anthology of poetry by writers who have not yet published a full-length book. The poems included in this eclectic sampling represent the best from the many that have been nominated by the country's top literary magazines and writing programs, as well as nearly two thousand additional poems submitted through an open online competition. The fifty poems that made the final cut show, in dazzling fashion, how tomorrow's poets are writing today. For those concerned that current writing programs and periodicals are forcing young writers into the same mold, this book offers exciting evidence to the contrary. The poems collected here display an astonishing range in both content and style, from the intensely lyrical to robust, often humorous, narratives. For the reader who wishes to explore the work of these budding writers but wonders where to begin, "Best New Poets 2006" has already scoured the contemporary poetry landscape to discover some of the nation's most engaging and promising voices. My fingers smell slightly of things broken and I realize you are always afraid of the way I open myself, how I must swallow up every sadness - from "I Am Thinking of My First Deer", Teresa Ballard. Li Po fell off his boat, Pound played telephone, and voila, modern poetry. - from "Response to an Academic Question", Barbara Yien.