On the aims and scope of the series, literature scholar, poet, and LPS General Editor Tanis MacDonald writes: "Under my editorial eye, the Series will retain its original aim to produce volumes of poetry made widely available to new readers, including undergraduate students at universities or colleges, and to a general readership who wish for 'more poetry in their poetry.' WLU Press also retains its commitment to produce beautiful volumes and to alert readers to poems that remain vital to thinking about urgencies of the contemporary moment. It is a reality that poetry books are produced in smaller print runs and often on a shoestring, and as a consequence, original collections of poetry tend to go out of print too quickly and far too precipitously. The Series has the added goal of bringing poems from out-of-print collections back into the public eye and the public discourse. The Press’ commitment to the work of literary studies includes choosing editors for each volume who can reflect deeply on the body of work, as well as inviting an original afterword from the poets themselves."
“Wilfrid Laurier University Press has done a great service to the cause of the preservation and dissemination of Canadian poetry by releasing an average of two such books a year in their continuing series.”
— John Herbert Cunningham, Prairie Fire Review of Books
“The quest for a wider audience for poetry may be quixotic, but this series makes a serious attempt to present attractive, affordable selections that speak to contemporary interests and topics that might engage a younger generation of readers. Yet it does not condescend, preferring to provide substantial and sophisticated poets to these new readers. At the very least, these slim volumes will make very useful introductory teaching texts in post-secondary classrooms because they whet the appetite without overwhelming.”
— Paul Milton, Canadian Literature
“I can say unreservedly that this series will be an invaluable resource to students and general poetry readers alike. Because even major Canadian poets must watch their books slip out of print, this series should do much to keep contemporary poetry in circulation. The books in the series will be logical choices for poetry or Canadian literature courses, either as a group, or as supplements to anthologies. The individual poetry selections are broad enough to give representation to the different stages in each poet's career. While I appreciated some introductions more than others, I found all five valuable in offering the reader a way into each poet's work. Moreover, the poets' afterwords often provide a complementary perspective—or even a counterweight—to the introductory critical appraisals. I think most teachers of poetry are always on the lookout for insightful poetics, not just to help understand the work of individual poets, but to understand more fully what the project of contemporary poetry is, and how poets achieve the desired result. Such teachers won't be disappointed by some fine insights provided by these poets.... [T]he Laurier Poetry Series... is providing an excellent model for keeping interest in Canada's contemporary poets alive.”
— Paul W. Harland, University of Alberta, Journal of Canadian Poetry
“The aim of the Laurier Poetry series is both admirable and exciting.”
— Erin Wunker, Canadian Literature