Contemporary Michigan Poetry: Poems from the Third Coast

by Conrad Hilberry

Book by Hilberry, Conrad, Delp, Michael

Genres: Poetry

359 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Conrad Hilberry was the author of several books of poetry including Until the Full Moon Has Its Say (Wayne State University Press, 2014) and Sorting the Smoke, which won the Iowa Poets’ Prize. Additionally, he had a long career teaching literature and creative writing at Kalamazoo College.

Reviews

[Melissa Agawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology feels like a walk through Michigan’s interior — not just its woods and waters, but its emotional terrain. The poems are rooted in place, yes, but also in memory, family, and the quiet rituals of everyday life. There’s a tactile quality to the language that makes even the smallest moments feel alive.

I appreciate the editors’ balance of established and emerging voices. The collection doesn’t chase trends; it honors craft and clarity. Some poems linger longer than others, but the overall effect is cohesive and resonant. It’s a book I return to when I want to feel connected to land, to lineage, to the act of paying attention.