I’m reading this year’s selections, and the guest editor is Sherman Alexie. I always look forward to the editor’s choices; they usually stretch my definition of best, and oftentimes I am not in agreement. This year, I would have to say that one huge oversight was Sharon Old’s stunning poem that appeared in The New Yorker magazine’s, May 18 edition: “Sheffield Mountain Ode” written for her dear friend and poet, Galway Kinnell. You can read it online at http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/sheffield-mountain-ode. Perhaps the reason I love this poem so much is because I have dealt with much loss this year, or perhaps because I am a huge Sharon Olds fan, or perhaps it is just a damn good poem.

The Best American Poetry is a great series, edited since 1988 by David Lehman, with quite a list of distinguished guest editors including Adrienne Rich, Robert Bly, Robert Hass and Billy Collins.