Ernest Hilbert Appears as Featured Reader for Schuylkill Valley Journal
Come on out to hear me read on Sunday, June 11th for the Schuylkill Valley Journal. The new issue of the journal contains a portfolio of my poems from Caligulan and my… Read More
“Pornosophical Philotheology!” Hilbert Reads from the “Circe” Chapter of James Joyce’s Ulysses for the Rosenbach Musem & Library’s Annual Bloomsday
“There is a flower that bloometh . . .” Hey, Philly, I’ll be reading from the “Circe” chapter of James Joyce’s Ulysses for the Rosenbach Musem & Library’s Annual Bloomsday, Friday, June… Read More
Ernest Hilbert Reads with Austin Allen at Otto’s Shrunken Head
Come on out for a lazy Sunday afternoon Zombie, beer, or coffee and some new poetry at Otto's Shrunken Head, declared one of New York City's best venues for poetry. … Read More
King Diamond Drummer Seen Wearing Ernest Hilbert’s Caligulan Tee Shirt
When King Diamond drummer Matt Thompson isn’t touring the world performing for thousands of screaming fans, he relaxes by reading Ernest Hilbert’s book Caligulan. He’s even been seen wearing the Caligulan tour… Read More
Ernest Hilbert’s Book Caligulan Selected as Winner of the 2017 Poets’ Prize
We are pleased to announce that Ernest Hilbert's book Caligulan has been selected as winner of the 2017 Poets' Prize.… Read More
Literary Matters Reviews Ernest Hilbert’s Book Caligulan
Literary Matters is the online journal of the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers. Issue 9.2 includes a comprehensive review of Ernest Hilbert’s third book, Caligulan, by critic Robert Archambeau: “Little… Read More
“The Muse and the Auctioneer’s Gavel: Learning About Poetry from First Editions” by Ernest Hilbert
The editors at Plume magazine in Canada asked me to supply a short piece on first editions of famous works of poetry for their Essays and Comment section. … Read More
“Two Portraits” by Ernest Hilbert in the Southwest Review
My poem "Two Portraits" appears in the new issue of the Southwest Review alongside poems by Denise Duhamel, A.M. Juster, Mary Jo Salter, Gerard Malanga, and others.… Read More
Books Read or Reread by Ernest Hilbert in 2016
One thing I’ve learned about fatherhood is that the number of books one will have time to read in a given year plummets precipitously. Nonetheless, I managed a few. George Saintsbury,… Read More
“An honest volume for dishonest times”: Caligulan as Not-Half-Bad Christmas Present
I'd be remiss if I didn't make at least a small seasonal push for my latest book Caligulan.… Read More
Ernest Hilbert Reviews Donald Hall’s Selected Poems in the Hopkins Review
"To write something as good as the poems that originally brought you to love the art. It’s the only sensible reason for writing poems,” Donald Hall declared in his early sixties in… Read More
Ernest Hilbert with Dawn Manning and Luke Stromberg at the Pen and Pencil Club
Since the birth of our son Ian in December, I haven't managed to get out to do very many readings. In fact, I've only managed two, the Hoboken Historical Museum and Colorado… Read More
“Poem Begun on the Autumn Equinox” by Ernest Hilbert
"The American lyric rendered in these poems follows Coleridge’s description of the sonnet as 'adapted to the state of a man violently agitated by a real passion.' Hilbert’s passion here is… Read More
Susan Spear’s Opera The Price of Pomegranates, Now with Video!
Poet and librettist Susan Spear studied with me in 2012, when I began teaching a course on the practical art of the opera libretto for the Western MFA poetry concentration. She began… Read More
Ernest Hilbert Bowdlerized at Long Last!
Until now, my poems have appeared whole or in parts, but not intentionally altered. At last, I am proud to have been slightly bowdlerized! … Read More
The Tiny Viking Drinking Horn of Ernest Hilbert the Rooster!
As noted here in years past, there is, in fact, a venerable warlord rooster named Ernest Hilbert, who keeps watch over his realm and his harem in Massachusetts. He was named for… Read More
“Kite” by Ernest Hilbert Scored for Voice and Cello by Christopher LaRosa
Follow along with the score as you listen to Chris LaRosa's setting of my poem "Kite" for voice and cello, featured on ContemporaryCompositionXX's youtube channel, performed by Rachel Mikol and Will Rowe,… Read More
“From the Balcony on Heavy Metal Tribute Night at the Trocadero” by Ernest Hilbert
"Per Contra began publication as an online quarterly in the fall of 2005. Our name indicates our intention to offer more than one way of looking at the world. You can… Read More
Ernest Hilbert and Stella Sung’s New Opera, The Book Collector, to Premiere Friday, May 20th
My second opera with composer Stella Sung, The Book Collector, will be performed by the Dayton Opera on Friday, May 20th, with a matinee on Sunday May 22nd. The opera incorporates physical… Read More
Ernest Hilbert’s Poem “Kite” Set to Music by Composer Christopher LaRosa
Ernest Hilbert's poem "Kite" was set to music by Christopher LaRosa for a commission by cellist Sara Wilkins. The result is a beautifully unsettling short work scored for soprano and cello. It… Read More
The Audubon Dream, a Short Opera by Karen E. Peace with Libretto by Ernest Hilbert’s Student Laura Stuckey
One of my former Art of the Opera Libretto students, Laura Stuckey, developed the one act libretto written for my course into a short opera with composer Karen Peace called The Audubon… Read More
“Visible Spectrum” by Ernest Hilbert
“There are books of poetry that, if only readers could be induced to pick them up, might change their minds for good about the supposed incomprehensibility, preciousness, and irrelevance of modern poetry.… Read More
Desk Copies of Ernest Hilbert’s Caligulan are Available for University Professors and Instructors
If you teach a course in contemporary American poetry and you'd like to try something new, consider requesting a desk copy of my latest book, Caligulan, from Measure Press. … Read More
Janelle Reyes Reads Ernest Hilbert’s “Domestic Situation” from Sixty Sonnets
Janelle Reyes from Capital Christian High School performs "Domestic Situation" by Ernest Hilbert at Poetry Out Loud 2016.… Read More
Ernest Hilbert Recent Publications and Other News February and March 2016
A quick update on some recent activity in the realms of poetry and opera for the edification of those who do not follow me on Facebook or Twitter.… Read More
“Meridian” by Ernest Hilbert
"Ernest Hilbert’s poems are beautifully made in their diction. The intelligence is clear." – Donald Hall… Read More
“Human Interest” by Ernest Hilbert (with Audio)
Tough-minded and precise, Ernest Hilbert’s lyrics, like his old mirror left out at the curb, turn an unflinching gaze on pieces of inner and outer landscapes we often push to the periphery.… Read More
Final Solutions: Ernest Hilbert Discusses Frederick Seidel’s Troubled First Collection
The latest issue of The Dark Horse contains new poems by the likes of David Mason, Jason Guriel, Nicholas Friedman, and Linda Besner. It also contains a selection of poets writing on… Read More