Ross Gay Collections books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Ross Gay Collections series?"

"There are eight books in the Ross Gay Collections series, published between 2006 and 2023."

Q: "What is the first book in the Ross Gay Collections series?"

"The first book in the Ross Gay Collections series is Against Which, published in 2006."

Q: "What is Lace and Pyrite?"

"Lace \u0026 Pyrite: Letters from Two Gardens (2014) is a co-authored chapbook, not a solo collection. Ross Gay wrote it in collaboration with poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil, growing out of an epistolary poem correspondence they began in 2011, exchanging poems written from the perspectives of their respective gardens. It was originally published by Organic Weapon Arts and later reissued by Green Frog Press. It stands apart from Gay's solo work as a collaboration, though it shares his interest in gardening, friendship, and the attentiveness to the natural world that characterizes much of his writing."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Against Which	2006	Ross Gay	Buy
2	Bringing the Shovel Down	2011	Ross Gay	Buy
3	Lace & Pyrite	2014	Ross Gay	Buy
4	Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude	2015	Ross Gay	Buy
5	The Book of Delights	2019	Ross Gay	Buy
6	Be Holding	2020	Ross Gay	Buy
7	Inciting Joy	2022	Ross Gay	Buy
8	The Book of More Delights	2023	Ross Gay	Buy

Against Which (2006) and Bringing the Shovel Down (2011) established Gay in the American poetry world before Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude (2015) brought the broader recognition that defined his reputation. The Catalog poems are long and accumulative, circling back and adding to themselves in a style that values generosity and specific praise over compression.

Lace & Pyrite (2014), the one collaborative entry in this collection, was written with Aimee Nezhukumatathil as an exchange of garden-letters-in-poems over several years. The chapbook format and the epistolary premise give it a different texture from Gay’s solo books, and it represents his working relationship with another poet rather than his independent voice.

The Book of Delights (2019) began as a discipline: Gay committed to writing one essay a day for a year about something that delighted him, no matter how small. The resulting collection became a bestseller and shifted his public presence from poet to essayist. Be Holding (2020), a book-length poem about Julius Erving, The Book of More Delights (2023), and Inciting Joy (2022) each demonstrate a different facet of his range within the delight-and-gratitude register he has made his own.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Ross Gay Collections series?

There are eight books in the Ross Gay Collections series, published between 2006 and 2023.

What is the first book in the Ross Gay Collections series?

The first book in the Ross Gay Collections series is Against Which, published in 2006.

What is Lace and Pyrite?

Lace & Pyrite: Letters from Two Gardens (2014) is a co-authored chapbook, not a solo collection. Ross Gay wrote it in collaboration with poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil, growing out of an epistolary poem correspondence they began in 2011, exchanging poems written from the perspectives of their respective gardens. It was originally published by Organic Weapon Arts and later reissued by Green Frog Press. It stands apart from Gay’s solo work as a collaboration, though it shares his interest in gardening, friendship, and the attentiveness to the natural world that characterizes much of his writing.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order