Steve Almond

Harvard Book Store is excited to welcome back local favorite STEVE ALMOND, as he presents his newest work published on Harvard Book Store's own book-making robot, Paige.

Bad Poetry is a book for anyone who's ever tried to write poetry—and failed miserably. Steve Almond's new DIY project is a compendium of truly wretched verse, accompanied by humorous essays on the nature of his own pretension and idiocy.

Poet Kim Addonizio warns: "Be scared—very scared—of this little book."

D.A. Powell is more direct in his assessment of Almond's work: "Painful failures."

Bad Poetry Contest:

Fans of Mortified, this one’s for you. In the spirit of Steve Almond’s new book, Bad Poetry, we want you to dig back into your old poetry journals to find the most embarrassing, cringe-worthy poetry you’ve written. Maybe it was the birthday poem you wrote your mom back when you were seven. Maybe it was your most earnest expression of adolescent angst. Or maybe it was an awkward early effort in a now flourishing poetic life. Whatever the origin, we’ll pick the best (by which we mean worst) for inclusion in a small chapbook published on Harvard Book Store’s own book making robot, Paige M. Gutenborg. Winning entries will be chosen to read at our Bad Poetry event with Steve Almond on Friday, February 11, while all contributors to the chapbook will receive a complimentary copy. Submissions must be sent to badpoetry@harvard.com by Thursday, February 3. Please include your name, contact information, and a line about the origin of your poem.