Ellen Burstyn will write about her lifelong love of poetry in a book coming in 2026.
HarperOne will publish the actor’s Poetry Says It Better next spring, the press announced in a news release, calling the book “deeply personal and inspiring.”
Burstyn first gained national fame after starring in The Last Picture Show, Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 film adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s novel; she earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance. She took home an Oscar for her role in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and went on to star in Dying Young, How To Make an American Quilt, and Requiem for a Dream, among other films.
Her book, HarperOne says, is likely to include poems by D.H. Lawrence, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mary Oliver, Maya Angelou, Billy Collins, and Naomi Shihab Nye.
“It is poetry that has fueled and sustained me throughout my career and has been interwoven with every major life milestone I’ve ever experienced,” Burstyn said in a statement. “The act of reciting poetry has only made me feel more strongly about how powerful performing can be. Despite the creative fulfillment I’ve experienced throughout my years on stage and screen, I must say that the simple act of reading a poem out loud to a friend has always brought me deep joy.”
Poetry Says It Better is slated for publication on April 28, 2026.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
