1. A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying By Laurie Ann Guerrero
Laurie Ann Guerrero, the 2016 Texas Poet Laureate, is also the 2014 San Antonio Poet Laureate. Her poetry has been described as startling and visceral - full of imagination and empathy but also sharp as knives. Among her numerous awards are the 2012 Andres Montoya Poetry Prize and the Helen C. Smith Award from the Texas Institute of Letters. A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying has been identified as a must-read work of Chicano literature. It explores the histories of South Texas, its people, and their ability to speak out.
University of Notre Dame Press, 2013. 66 pages.
811.6 G937T 2013


 

2. Sonnets and Salsa By Carmen Tafolla
Dr. Carmen Tafolla, the 2015 Texas Poet Laureate, is a writer, a performance artist, and a professor of Bicultural Bilingual Studies at the University of Texas - San Antonio. She has authored several books of poetry along with short stories, historical nonfiction, and children's books. She is recognized as one of the madrinas of contemporary Chicana literature and a master at code-switching. Her works have appeared in textbooks, newspapers, journals, and magazines. She has been honored with several awards including being named the 2012 San Antonio Poet Laureate. Sonnets and Salsa is a collection of poems/sonnets in English and in Spanish that capture the joys and struggles of Latina women.
Wings Press, 2001. 107 pages.
811.54 T125S 2001


 

3. Shock by Shock By Dean Young
Dean Young, the 2014 Texas Poet Laureate and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, has been a prolific author of poetry for the past thirty-years. He has received awards and support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2011 he underwent a heart transplant after living with congestive heart failure for a decade. Hints of his condition can be found throughout his poetry. He is currently the William Livingston Chair of Poetry with the James A. Michener Center for Writers and a professor with the University of Texas Department of English in Austin. Shock By Shock, his first collection of poems since his brush with death, celebrates his joy for life with a mixture of surrealism and humor.
Copper Canyon Press, 2015. 81 pages.
811.54 Y84S 2015


 

4. Again for the First Time By Rosemary Catacalos
Rosemary Catacalos, the 2013 Texas Poet Laureate, is of Greek and Mexican heritage and a San Antonio native. Her work is deeply rooted in the classical myths, folklore, and history of both cultures. She has been a tireless advocate for literacy, creative education, and underheard voices. Again for the First Time, which was awarded the Texas Institute of Letters Poetry Prize, blends Greek mythological characters with contemporary settings and addresses a variety of issues, including San Antonio street life and racism.
Wings Press, 2013. 79 pages.
811.54 C28A 2013


 

5. Jan Seale: New and Selected Poems By Jan Seale
Jan Seale, the 2012 Texas Poet Laureate, began writing poetry at the age of six. She is an award winning author of poetry, short stories, nonfiction and children’s books. The former teacher’s works often reflects on nature, aging, spirituality, and the lives of women. Jan Seale: New and Selected Poems, the eighth volume of the Texas Poets Laureate series, is a collection of some of her best poetry published between 1974-2012.
TCU Press, 2012. 88 pages.
811 T312PL 12


 

6. David M. Parsons: New and Selected Poems By David M. Parsons
Dave Parsons, the 2011 Texas Poet Laureate, is a man of many contrasts - from serving in the U.S. Marine Corps to owning a haberdashery, from coaching sports to teaching creative writing at Lone Star College. He began writing poetry in college and has been published in several journals and anthologies. He is the recipient of numerous awards and was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2009. David M. Parsons: New and Selected Poems, the seventh installment of the TCU Texas Poets Laureate Series, is a collection of some of his most celebrated works, including poems inspired by the city of Austin.
TCU Press, 2012. 86 pages.
811 T312PL 11


 

7. Redefining Beauty By Karla K. Morton
Karla K. Morton, the 2010 Texas Poet Laureate, is a celebrated poet who has authored numerous books of poetry that span many subjects and forms. In her role as Texas Poet Laureate, she established the Little Town, Texas Tour to bring poetry to young people across Texas, focusing on small towns underserved by the arts. Redefining Beauty is a collection of powerful poems that chronicle her journey through cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery - offering hope but also unfiltered honesty - on the brutality of cancer.
Dos Gatos Press, 2009. 63 pages.
811.6 M846R 2009


 

8. Paul Ruffin: New and Selected Poems By Paul Ruffin
Paul Ruffin, the 2009 Texas Poet Laureate, was an award winning writer who passed away in 2016. He was a Texas State University System Regents' Professor and a Distinguished Professor of English at Sam Houston State University. He was also the founder of the Texas Review and of Texas Review Press. He published over 1500 poems along with a multitude of stories and essays. Paul Ruffin: New and Selected Poems, the fifth installment of the TCU Texas Poets Laureate Series, highlights some of his finest poetry and extraordinary storytelling.
TCU Press, 2010. 85 pages.
811.54 R838N 2010