Side by Side

From the winner of the Michael L. Printz Honor Award comes a poetry anthology inspired by poets and artists from around the globe.

In the groundbreaking tradition of Heart to Heart, this collection examines the connections between an artist’s work and a poet’s response, putting the artist and poet literally on the same page. With an English translation accompanying each poem in its original language, this is a novel, illuminating way to discover poetry and art together. The poems, most published or translated for the first time in the United States, are surprising and engaging, helping us see art from a fresh perspective.

Hailing from thirty-three countries on six continents, the artists and poets included in this collection represent a sampling of the world’s diverse art history, from an ancient Egyptian mummy case to a huge contemporary artwork that takes over an entire museum in Sweden. But they also emphasize the universal appeal of art and poetry. In this kaleidoscope of voices and visions, seeing a painting through another person’s eyes and understanding a stranger’s point of view, shows how similar we all are.