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Joy: 100 Poems Paperback – November 12, 2019

by Christian Wiman (Editor)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 102 ratings
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One hundred of the most evocative modern poems on joy, selected by an award-winning contemporary poet
“Bursting with energy and surprising locutions. . . . Even the most familiar poets seem somehow new within the context of Joy.”—David Skeel, Wall Street Journal   “Wiman takes readers through the ostensible ordinariness of life and reveals the extraordinary.”—Adrianna Smith, The Atlantic
  Christian Wiman, a poet known for his meditations on mortality, has long been fascinated by joy and by its relative absence in modern literature. Why is joy so resistant to language? How has it become so suspect in our times? Manipulated by advertisers, religious leaders, and politicians, joy can seem disquieting, even offensive. How does one speak of joy amid such ubiquitous injustice and suffering in the world?

In this revelatory anthology, Wiman takes readers on a profound and surprising journey through some of the most underexplored terrain in contemporary life. Rather than define joy for readers, he wants them to experience it. Ranging from Emily Dickinson to Mahmoud Darwish and from Sylvia Plath to Wendell Berry, he brings together diverse and provocative works as a kind of counter to the old, modernist maxim “light writes white”—no agony, no art. His rich selections awaken us to the essential role joy plays in human life.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    232 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  4. Publication date
    November 12, 2019
  5. Dimensions
    5.4 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0300248636
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0300248630
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Bursting with energy and surprising locutions. . . . Even the most familiar poets seem somehow new within the context of Joy.”—David Skeel, Wall Street Journal

“Christian Wiman takes readers through the ostensible ordinariness of life and reveals the extraordinary.”—Adrianna Smith, The Atlantic

“Amid the darkness of this season—nay, this moment in history—this book of poems is certainly prescriptive, the antidote to deepening psychic ails. . . . Wiman’s own history of mortal sufferings. . . makes him a sharp-eyed explorer, on vigilant watch for those shimmering shards of joy along the circuitous climb. . . . In an introduction worthy of memorization, Wiman writes: ‘Joy is the only inoculation against the despair to which any sane person is prone.’”—Barbara Mahany, Chicago Tribune, holiday roundup

“Since the Christmas season is a time for joyful contemplation, it would be particularly fitting to linger with the poems in Joy: 100 Poems. They testify to many different experiences of joy in many different poetic forms.”—Commonweal

Selected as the 2020 Yale Book Award for Eastern Massachusetts

“This bold anthology provides readers with a wealth of reflection and insight on the epiphanies, large and small, that help give meaning to our lives. These poems remind us that joy is deep, and necessary.”—Kathleen Norris, author of Acedia & Me and Journey: New & Selected Poems

“The force of this wonderful collection (and the wonderful introductory essay) is the recognition that joy cannot be argued away. In the centre of our human nightmares something opens and flowers, completely unreasonably, completely undeniably. That is what is celebrated here.”—Rowan Williams, theologian and poet (Cambridge)

“Joy is an indispensable collection that will buoy up the darkest reader. Truly, Christian Wiman is a genius to have ranged so far (and deep!) to gather in one spot so many unforgettable poems to convince this glum bunny there’s more light than dark in our wiggly world.”—Mary Karr, author of The Liars’ Club, Lit, and Sinners Welcome

“This is an original, necessary, and illuminating book: it shines a light on an often overlooked aspect of poetry, and on Wiman’s own work, too.”—Paul Elie, author of The Life You Save May Be Your Own and Reinventing Bach

About the Author

Christian Wiman is the author of numerous books, including My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer. He is professor of the practice of religion and literature at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press; Reprint edition (November 12, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 232 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300248636
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300248630
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.4 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 102 ratings

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Christian Wiman

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
102 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Stevie Z
5.0 out of 5 stars Impeccable selection
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
I read one a day. Stunning, muscular, lovely, loving, unexpected, sobering, fresh, divine joy
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Summer
5.0 out of 5 stars Joy in its Most Poetically Beautiful Forms
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2018
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This is arguably one of the most important and meaningful poetry anthologies I’ve ever read. The collection that Christian Wiman has put together here is diverse, lovely, sometimes strange, and always affecting. Each poem frames the idea of “joy” in its own distinct way, lending the anthology an exciting degree of discovery that feels deeply personal and yet universally applicable. I can’t recommend this book enough, and will be inevitably forcing it upon anyone and everyone I can.
7 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Sort of about Joy.
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024
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Nice anthology of modern poetry...some good,some okay, some very very skippable.
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Kathy Berken
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2018
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I had the privilege of meeting Christian Wiman a couple years ago. He is as genuine and good as his new book. What I love about this book is the wide variety of poems he collected and the fairly long introduction on his take on joy. That is inspiring and profound. And the intro is worth the price of the entire collection.
If you are looking for good writing on the topic of joy, buy this book.
4 people found this helpful
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Tamar Mehuron
5.0 out of 5 stars Lift Your Spirits!
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2022
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What a beautiful, uplifting compilation of poems! Just right for the second Covid winter!.
One person found this helpful
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K. B. Fenner
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, literary poems that are accessible, too!
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
Love love love this book--the introduction is something I am doling out carefully, savoring each section repeatedly. The poems are very accessible, but not trite or hackneyed in any way. Pay attention to the specific words chosen, and it is especially rewarding. After the cancellation of the Writer's Almanac, this is my daily poetry fix!
7 people found this helpful
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Pat Penn
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book, always hits home.
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2021
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Daily poetry read.
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Rebecca
4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of interesting words
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2024
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Lots of interesting words
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