“In this day and age, to seek false solace in poetry is a harm both to the poet and to the reader. Desecration and ruins cannot be erased by writing. Yet silence itself is also a form of desecration; Spahr will not remain silent—nor should the reader. The success of this book depends on whether readers can bring it into the real world, whether through their own poetry or through their own bodies.”
—Jeff Alessandrelli, “Good People Have No Shape”

“Over the past few decades, Juliana Spahr’s creative practice has been grounded in the Emersonian tradition, focusing on the everyday. Her work is rigorous yet process-oriented, unstable and fluid—like Emerson’s; at the same time, it carries a political lyricism reminiscent of Whitman’s later writings.”
—Lauren Berlant, author of “The Inconvenience of Others”

“The pastoral, enchanting scenes in Spahr’s writing evoke humanity’s enduring fantasy of ecological coexistence, a coexistence built on mutual care and protection. Yet if these scenes also presage an impending exile, they likewise reveal the deep psychological need people have for such fantasies.”
—Margaret Ronda, author of “Survivors: American Poetry at Nature’s End”

“This work by Juliana Spahr explores how to write in times of upheaval. (Spahr first began by reading Brecht.)”
—Library Journal

In this book, Spahr dissects the growing threats of climate change and right-wing populism with humility and artistry. We are left to wonder: beyond adding more lines of verse, what else can poetry contribute to confronting these challenges? Though Spahr remains cautious, her answer is clear: a great deal.
—Christopher Conderidge, The Washington Post

Spahr’s work delves deeply into the paths that lyric poetry invites us to follow—paths of light and shadow—and into how we might better traverse them, even as art itself risks failure. Can art—poetry in particular—save us? Or should it? Is that even possible? Ultimately, Spahr’s lyric poetry may simply be about survival—provided, of course, that we are willing to strive for it.
—Rob McLennan, Rob McLennan’s Blog

“This work by Juliana Spahr adds an ‘-s’ to the title of one of the most famous ancient poems about poetry—Horace’s Ars Poetica (Latin for ‘the Art of Poetry’). Here, however, there is not just one meditation on the art of poetry, but seven—sometimes digressive, sometimes cyclical, sometimes self-questioning, sometimes self‑reflective.”
—Christopher Spaide, Literary Hub

★The 2026 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Poetry!
The Pulitzer Prize committee commented: “The poet examines personal disillusionment and, through it, interrogates her relationship with artistic form, community, and politics.” This reflects the book’s self-reflexivity—its critical engagement with poetry itself—as well as its public dimension.
★A work by Juliana Spahr, professor at Northeastern University and a dual representative of both the “academic” and “avant-garde” traditions in contemporary poetry. Alongside Anne Carson, the 2026 Nobel Laureate in Literature, she stands as a leading figure in North American experimental poetry, having made significant contributions to bringing poetry back into the public sphere.
★Media and critics widely agree that this is no longer a collection of “beautiful but inconsequential” poems, but rather a “manifesto engaged with reality.” Its true weight lies in its powerful relevance to contemporary issues and its universal resonance, making it suitable for readers interested in ecological literature, postmodern poetics, and the writing of public intellectuals.
★This book offers a contemporary, polyphonic response to Horace’s Ars Poetica from ancient Rome, using politically charged language to explore the crucial role of poetry in what the author describes as a “dark age.”

Lyrical reflections on poetic creation in an age of ecological crisis and right-wing populism.
At a time when the alt‑right—a specific branch of the far‑right—is gaining strength and species extinction is accelerating, Juliana Spahr began reading Brecht. She sought in his work an answer to his question about dark times: can there still be song in such eras? Brecht’s answer was yes—poets will sing of dark times. In the six poems she has written, Spahr celebrates dark times, as well as coral reefs, the liberating potential of pop songs, and love between queer individuals. She not only chronicles the rich history of interaction between politics and poetry but also envisions a future in which the two might join forces.
The book’s title literally means “the art of poetry,” and it interweaves reflections on the ecological crisis, the rise of authoritarian populism, and the possibilities of collective care and resistance. Spahr, who is also a scholar of contemporary American literature, traces the trajectory of the nuclear age—from the famous Operation Castle nuclear tests to today’s crises, species extinctions, and political upheaval. The title draws on Horace’s seminal treatise on the art of poetry, the Ars Poetica, which has inspired poets across cultures and languages to compose their own “ars poetica”—meditations on the craft of poetry.
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“I think the question this book poses is: what can poetry do in a moment like this?” Spahr said, noting that she currently works at Northeastern University’s Oakland campus. “What role does poetry play in the current ecological crisis? I believe the answer to that question is far more complex than the answer to the question about the alt‑right.”

Juliana Spahr
Juliana Spahr is a poet and literary scholar, serving as the Frederick A. Rice Professor at Northeastern University’s Oakland campus.
She has achieved outstanding success in both writing and education. Over the past 50 years, she has extensively written about the development of literature, while her poetry often blends prose-like imagery, repetition, and political or journalistic content, creating her own distinctive lyrical and wandering narratives.
She is an “activist poet” whose work is deeply engaged with social issues, with a long-standing focus on the ecological crisis, the legacy of the nuclear age, anti-war activism, and social justice. She is not only a scholar of the page but also actively involved in social movements; her work frequently integrates journalistic forms, prose poetry, and data-driven storytelling. Together with Stephanie Young, Associate Professor of English at Northeastern University’s Oakland campus, Spahr has collaborated on several data-driven projects, including mapping demographic trends and shifts in the formerly predominantly white literary publishing world. The two co-authored a series of articles that meticulously examine the mechanisms of the “economy” of literary awards. They found that literary prizes tend to be awarded to writers connected to elite institutions, networks, and publishers, resulting in a system where recognition is disproportionately skewed toward privileged authors and a literary culture that has become increasingly exclusionary over time.
Spahr’s previous works include *The Winter That Wasn’t* (2015), *Well Then, Here It Is* (2011), *Transformations* (2007), *Everyone Has Lungs* (2005), *Things Colliding in All Possible Relations* (2003), *Fuck You—Aloha—I Love You* (2001), *Response* (1996), *Spider Wasp or Literary Criticism* (1998), and *Nuclear* (1994). She has also written numerous critical works.

Poetic Art 1: Coral
Poetic Art 2: Golden Broom
Poetic Art 3: Bluebird Ghost
Poetic Art 4: Bison
Poetic Art 5: Goby Fish
Poetic Art 6: Coral (Again)
Poetic Art 7: Acknowledgments