Graywolf Press published the year’s top-selling poetry book, Elizabeth Alexander‘s presidential long poem: “Praise Song for the Day: A Poem for Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration.”

Poetry Foundation compiled a list of the Bestselling Contemporary Poetry of 2009 list, a sales glimpse at a genre with a small, dedicated audience. Other titles on the bestseller list included: “Endpoint and Other Poems” by John Updike and “Endpoint and Other Poems” by John Updike.

Here’s an excerpt, along with links to more poetic bestsellers: “Every week, the Poetry Foundation compiles information from Nielsen Bookscan and puts together lists of the best selling books of poetry. There’s a list for books by contemporary poets, a list for anthologies, and a list for books of children’s poetry.”