Full-length Collections
- Faster Than Light New and Selected Poems, 1996-2011. Louisiana State University Press, 2012.
- The Cachoeira Tales, and Other Poems.Louisiana State University Press, 2005.
- The Fields of Praise: New and Selected Poems. Louisiana State University Press, 1997
- Magnificat. Louisiana State University Press, 1994.
- The Homeplace. Louisiana State University Press, 1990.
- Mama’s Promises. Louisiana State University Press, 1985.
- For the Body. Louisiana State University Press, 1978.
Chapbooks
- The Meeting House. Antrim House Books, 2017.
- The Freedom Business: Connecticut Landscapes Through the Eyes of Venture Smith. Lyme Historical Society, Florence Griswold Museum, 2006.
- She-Devil Circus. Aralia Press, 2001.
- Triolets for Triolet. Curbstone Press, 2001.
- Partial Truth. The Kutenai Press, 1992.
Translations
- A Little Bitty Man and Other Poems for the Very Young. Rasmussen, Halfdan. Trans. Marilyn Nelson and Pamela Espeland. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Candlewick, 2011.
- The Ladder. Rasmussen, Halfdan. Trans. Marilyn Nelson. Illustrated by Pierre Pratt. Candlewick, 2006.
- The Thirteenth Month. Pedersen, Inge. Trans. Marilyn Nelson. Oberlin College Press, 2005.
- Euripides. Euripides, 1: Medea. Hecuba. Andromache. The Bacchae. Ed. David R. Slavitt and Palmer Bovie. Trans. Eleanor Wilner, Inés Azar, Marilyn Nelson, Donald Junkins, and Daniel M. Epstein. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998.
- Hundreds of Hens and other poems for children. Rasmussen, Halfdan. Trans. Marilyn Nelson and Pamela Espeland. Illustrated by D.M. Robinson. Black Willow Press, 1982.
- Literary Sex Roles. Dahlerup, Pil. Trans. Marilyn Nelson. Minnesota Women in Higher Education, 1975
Books for Young Adults
- Augusta Savage: The Shape of a Sculptor’s Life. Forthcoming, Christy Ottaviano Books, 2021.
- American Ace. Dial Books, 2016.
- Nelson, Marilyn. My Seneca Village. Namelos, 2015.
- How I Discovered Poetry. Illustrated by Hadley Hooper. Dial Books, 2014.
- Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Dial Books, 2009.
- Beautiful Ballerina. Photo BY Susan Kuklin. Scholastic Press, 2009.
- Pemba’s Song: A Ghost Story. (with Tonya C. Hegamin.) Scholastic, 2008.
- The Freedom Business: Including A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa. Illustrated by Deborah Dancy. Front Street, 2008.
- Miss Crandall’s School for Young Ladies and Little Misses of Color. (with Elizabeth Alexander.) Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Wordsong. 2007.
- A Wreath for Emmett Till. Illustrated by Philippe Lardy. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2005.
- Fortune’s Bones: The Manumission Requiem. (with Pamela Espeland.) Front Street, 2004.
- Carver, a Life in Poems. Front Street, 2001.
Books for Young Children
- A is for Oboe: The Orchestra’s Alphabet (with Lera Auerbach.) Illustrated by Paul Hoppe. Forthcoming, Dial, 2022.
- Papa’s Free Day Party. Illustrated by Wayne Anthony Still. Forthcoming, Just Us Books, 2021.
- Lubaya’s Quiet Roar. Illustrated by Philemona Williamson. Dial Books, 2020.
- Ostrich and Lark. Illustrated by San Artists of the Kuru Art Project in Botswana. Boyds Mills Press, 2012.
- Snook Alone. Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering. Candlewick, 2010.
- The Cat Walked through the Casserole and Other Poems for Children (with Pamela Espeland.) Illustrated by Schart Hyman, Trina. Carolrhoda, 1984.
Editor
- Mrs. Nelson’s Class. Marilyn Nelson (ed.) Mrs. Nelson’s Class. World Enough Writers, 2017.