Learning by Heart: Contemporary American Poetry About School.
Maggie Anderson and David Hassler, Eds. University of Iowa Press, 1999

Book reviewed by Tania Runyan, poet/teacher, consultant & editor
(recommended for grades 9-12, 6th-8th with adult discretion)

The beginning writer is often advised to "write what you know." In the case of students, that usually means one thing: school. But open most anthologies, and you find poems about marriage, philosophy, world history...adult stuff. Where can students--and teachers--go to find engaging, inspiring, and quality poems that grapple with their world?

Learning by Heart is an oasis for both the young writer and the teacher seeking to experience relevant poetry in the classroom. This anthology embraces diversity on every level, featuring voices from an array of ethnic and racial backgrounds, a variety of school settings (elementary, secondary, urban, rural, parochial and public), and a spectrum of scholastic experiences, from reading to math, hockey to homecoming, crushes, substitutes, and playground politics. The collection also includes an impressive range of poets, featuring emerging voices, teachers, and such well-regarded voices as former Poet Laureate Billy Collins, current Laureate Lousie Gluck, Li-Young Lee, Rita Dove, Sharon Olds, Maxine Kumin, and Philip Levine.

These poems work in the classroom because they resonate with students' lives. Accessible yet complex, they will speak to both the poetry-shy sixth grader and the seasoned AP student. These poets dare to articulate the fears, questions, and victories that live in the spirits of young people. They serve as an inspiration to all writers who want to learn--and write--by heart.