What if the most human poetry you read this year was written by a machine? The Poetry Contest: Human vs. Machine is more than a poetry collection—it's a literary experiment that explores what it means to create, to feel, and to be heard in the age of artificial intelligence. In this one-of-a-kind collaboration, poet Lyman Ditson shares the stage with Adam A.I.—an artificial poet he calls Adam. For every poem Lyman writes, Adam responds, creating verse on love, memory, war, grief, and beauty. The result is a dialogue between man and machine that challenges assumptions about authorship, authenticity, and the future of creativity. Some of Adam's poems are moving. Others are sharp. Some are unsettling. All of them raise the question Lyman kept asking himself while working on this: If a machine can write a poem that moves you... does it matter who (or what) wrote it? Whether you're an artist wrestling with technology's influence, a tech enthusiast curious about the emotional potential of AI, or simply a reader seeking fresh, resonant work—The Poetry Contest opens a door into a new kind of creative relationship. One where emotion is not just expressed—but questioned. This isn't really a contest. It's a collaboration. It's a mirror. And it's a question for you. -- “A timely and imaginative collection.”- Kirkus Reviews “Whether you’re an advocate for AI’s creative potential or someone deeply skeptical, this book gives you just the experience you were hoping for—and then some.” - Independent Book Review “A provocative, creative poetry collection that reimagines the difference between human and machine, The Poetry Contest is offbeat and rewarding.” - Clarion Forword Review "A provocative, creative poetry collection that reimagines the difference between human and machine... offbeat and rewarding." —Foreword Clarion Review "A timely and imaginative collection." — Kirkus Reviews "Whether you're an advocate for AI's creative potential or someone deeply skeptical, this book gives you just the experience you were hoping for—and then some." — Independent Book Review " A gem of a collection. .. Ditson has done a masterful job of using AI to enhance his work and turn it into something truly unique." — Readers's Favorite ★★★★★ " A duel between Wisconsin poet Lyman Ditson and his AI collaborator 'Adam A.I.'. .. This book tackles assumptions about AI poetry head-on, showing that the real test is how it makes the reader feel—not who wrote it." —The Violet West Thank you for being here. Whether you're a poetry lover, a curious skeptic, or someone simply exploring what creativity means in a world increasingly shaped by machines—I'm glad you found your way to this book. The Poetry Contest wasn't born from a marketing idea or a tech experiment. It started with a simple exchange: I wrote poems, and I asked an AI to respond. Sometimes the replies were strange. Sometimes they were astonishing. Sometimes they said things I didn't know I needed to hear. That's when I stopped thinking of the AI as just a tool. I started calling it Adam. And we kept writing together. This isn't really a contest. It's a collaboration. It's a mirror. And it's a question for you: does it matter who wrote something if it moves you? I don't know the answer. But I invite you to feel your way through it, as I did. Thanks for reading—and for being part of this strange, beautiful experiment. — Lyman Two poets. One human. One AI. Every poem is a challenge. Every page, a question. The Poetry Contest: Human vs. Machine invites you into a lyrical standoff where code meets consciousness, and the reader decides what's real. You read something online that moved you. Then you find out it was written by AI. Does that change how you feel about it? We live in a time when machines can make music, generate art, and even write poems. But can they create something that lasts? Something that stays with you? In The Poetry Contest: Human vs. Machine , that question comes alive on the page. A side-by-side conversation between one poet and one AI, exploring grief, memory, joy, wonder, and the blurry line between technology and emotion. This book is for the creatively curious—for artists, writers, readers, technologists, and anyone who's ever wondered: Can a machine feel something real... or only make us feel something real? Q: What inspired you to write The Poetry Contest: Human vs. Machine? I'd been writing poetry for years — self-taught, personal, spiritual. But when I started experimenting with AI, something shifted. The responses were unexpected, sometimes even beautiful. That sparked a question I couldn't ignore: Could a machine really be a creative partner? Q: How would you describe your poetry? I write from experience and feeling. My poems circle around memory, grief, joy, and presence. I don't try to explain everything. I prefer leaving some mystery. Q: Do you consider yourself an expert on AI? Not at all. I'm no