In “The Battle of Maldon,” Tolkien scholar Peter Grybauskas provides insights into both an epic poem and the great storyteller’s translation.
Poets and Poems: Stephen Cushman and “Keep the Feast”
In “Keep the Feast,” poet Stephen Cushman combines the sacred and secular, producing psalms that are jarring and challenging.
Poetry Prompt: Back to School, in the Second Person
Find your way back to school with this poetry prompt that uses second person. The trip might be deeper, more dreamlike if you do.
Bookstore Tour: Transom is a Tarrytown Delight!
Transom is a small bookshop with a big heart in Tarrytown, New York. It boasts beautiful display designs, a fabulous book selection, and a few surprising sights sure to bring delight.
Poets and Poems: Emma Lazarus and “Selected Poems”
Known for a single if famous poem, Emma Lazarus was an accomplished poet, writer, polemicist, and champion for the Jewish people.
Poets and Poems: Charles Reznikoff and “Poems”
In his first two poetry collections, Charles Reznikoff reflected the experience of Jewish immigrants to America.
Poetry Prompt: Into the Cave
Bring your courage and your curiosity and come into the cave with our “Into the Cave” poetry prompt!
Poets and Poems: Victoria Maria Castells and “The Rivers Are Inside Our Homes”
The poems of “The Rivers Are Inside Our Homes” by Victoria Maria Castells pulsate with imagery as they describe homelands old and new.
Is the Sonnet Also an American Art Form? David Bromwich Says Yes
In “American Sonnets,” Yale professor David Bromwich has assembled poems that suggest the sonnet is an American art form.
Congrats to Our Illustrator Sara Barkat! — Featured on Substack
Our illustrator Sara Barkat has been featured by Substack. Come celebrate the honor with her, and maybe pen a poem to go along.
Poets and Poems: Thomas Kinsella and “Last Poems”
“Last Poems” by Irish poet Thomas Kinsella explores the big, eternal questions that increasingly occupy our minds as we age.
“Hamnet”: Visualizing What Inspired Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
The novel and play “Hamnet” suggest that Shakespeare may have memorialized his son, who died in 1596, in the play “Hamlet.”
Poets and Poems: Ellie O’Leary and “Breathe Here”
In “Breathe Here,” poet Ellie O’Leary writes of her childhood losses of her mother at age 10 and her father at 18.
Fourth of July: “Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote “Concord Hymn” for a monument unveiling, introducing one of the most famous lines in American history.
Poets and Poems: Osip Mandelstam and “Tristia”
Russians consider Osip Mandelstam one of the greatest poets; a new translation of “Tristia” helps explain why.
The Gift of the Monarch Butterfly
An unusual gift prompts Dheepa Maturi to think about the tenuous world of the Monarch Butterfly. Come write a poem as you enter this world!
A TS Classic: “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
A new edition of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Sara Barkat, shows how the story still applies to our own time.
Rediscovering Seneca: Dana Gioia Translates “The Madness of Hercules”
Dana Gioia combines drama, history, poetry and more in his fine translation “Seneca: The Madness of Hercules.”
Poets and Poems: Andrew Frisardi and “The Moon on Elba”
To read “The Moon on Elba” by poet Andrew Frisardi is to experience the light of Italy and the ideal or idea behind the words.
Poets and Poems: Bruce Beasley and “Prayershreds”
After reading the 18 poems of “Prayershreds” by Bruce Beasley, you’ll find yourself, and your poetic head, in a very different place.