From award-winning poet and novelist Phillip B. Williams, an astonishing new collection that revels in the possibility of creating one’s own light

Captivating for both its grandeur and intimacy,Lift Every Voiceexplores the capacity for the past to be both a source of dread and empowerment, an unshakable reminder of violence and an indelible testament to the endurance of love.In virtuosic poems that are wise, musical, richly layered, and saturated with vivid imagery, Williams honors a mother who knew seven ways to say bitch under her breath, a grandma whose smile reflects the world, and wonders at the impossible liftof forgiveness.Lift Every Voiceisa staggering tribute to personal and collective evolutions, a vital chorus that answers only to God, community, and the empowered self.

Phillip B. Williamsis the author of the novelOursand two collections of poetry:Thief in the Interior, which was the winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and a Lambda Literary Award, andMutiny, which was a finalist for the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry and the winner of a 2022 American Book Award. Williams is also the recipient of a Whiting Award and fellowships from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and the National Endowment for the Arts. Raised in Chicago, he currently teaches in the MFA in creative writing program at New York University and is founding faculty of the RandolphCollege Low-res MFA.

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publish Date: July 14, 2026
• Pages: 80
• Language: English
• Type: Paperback
• EAN/UPC: 9780143138860
• Dimensions: 9.0 X 6.0 X 0.2 inches | 0.3 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Poetry