Poetry highlights in honor of National Poetry Month!
Poet of the Day: Willie Perdomo
Willie Perdomo is a Puerto Rican poet and children's book author. He's the author of  Where a Nickel Costs a Dime , a finalist for the Poetry Society of America Norma Farber First Book Award;  Smoking Lovely, winner of the PEN/Open Book Award;  The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon , a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist; and  The Crazy Bunch.  His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine , Poetry , The Best American Poetry 2019, and African Voices .   He teaches at Phillips Exeter Academy. The Crazy Bunch was named one of New York Public Library’s Best Book of 2019.
This poet belongs in our classrooms because . . .
Willie Perdomo is not only a contemporary poet but is currently an English Instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. Perdomo saw and experienced firsthand a tumultuous time in New York City during his teenage years and his works include his memories of that time. Music is a huge influence of his poems; many read like hip-hop. These poems resonate with readers of all ages.
Poems by Willie Perdomo
Enjoy these two poems (PDF) from The Crazy Bunch, made available with permission of the poet.

Poetry Books
The Crazy Bunch  (Penguin Books, 2019)
The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon  (Penguin Books, 2014)
Smoking Lovely  (Rattapallax, 2003)
Where a Nickel Costs a Dime  (W. W. Norton, 1996)

Children's Books
Clemente! , illustrated by Bryan Collier (Henry Holt, 2010)
Visiting Langston , illustrated by Bryan Collier (Perfection Learning, 2005)

Hear Willie Perdomo Talk about his Poetry
Listen to a conversation between Willie Perdomo and Washington Post's Ron Charles.

View a webinar with the poet, the Library of Congress, and NCTE, including questions from teachers as well as poetry readings from Willie Perdomo.

Lisa Storm Fink works at the National Council of English with Professional Learning and Member Engagement, and is Project Manager of ReadWriteThink.org . She is a certified elementary teacher and is a current university instructor. Lisa is an elected trustee of her village library board and a champion of libraries. Her two daughters are her pride and joy.