Poets Corner

Guest-selected by Scottish Poetry Library's in-house master of rhyme Ryan Van Winkle, this list offers six of the finest poetry collections you can get your hands on...


Play the Piano Drunk like a Percussion Instrument Until The Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit - Charles Bukowski	Stranded in Sub-Atomica - Tim Turnbull	Book of Longing - Leonard Cohen
Bukowski writes with fire, candour and humour about the things that matter in life. (See also You Get So Alone at Times That It Just Makes Sense)	Fun but not light poems that are quirky and worth reading many times over. Discover The Succubus!	Before he was an acclaimed singer/songwriter Cohen was a poet whose work can easily stand on its own – full of love and, of course, beautiful beautiful longing.

Howl - Allen Ginsberg	Poems (Vintage Classic) with introduction by Patti Smith - William Blake	The Essential Etheridge Knight - Etheridge Knight
Who amongst us hasn't seen 'the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked'?	Smith, a pure-born rocker, makes the case for why Blake's brand of darkness is still relevant. The Sick Rose is 'sick' in the good way.	This book contains my favorite poem of all time. Unfortunately, it has a dirty word in the title, so I can't tell you what it is. You'll have to go find it!