The poems of “The Courage It Takes” by Kelly Chripczuk tell the story of the disconnect between inner self and outer reality.
Poets and Poems: Shane McCrae and “Sometimes I Never Suffered”
In “Sometimes I Never Suffered,” poet Shane McCrae uses the historical figure of a mixed-race boy to tell a larger story.
Reading Generously: Stories with Older Characters
How do we develop empathy? By reading fiction—generously. This month we focus on older characters in a novel by Ernest J. Gaines.
Poets and Poems: David Russell Mosley and “The Green Man”
To read the poems of “The Green Man” by David Russell Mosley is to walk the ancient paths of Nature and faith.
Poets and Poems: Brittney Corrigan and “Daughters”
In “Daughters,” poet Brittney Corrigan has imagined the experience of the daughter of 50 figures of fiction fairy tales, folklore, and myth.
Poets and Poems: Mark Johnson Cole and “Four Texas Quartets”
Mark Johnson Cole has constructed a poetic mythology of his home state in “Four Texas Quartets,” and he’s honored T.S. Eliot along the way.
Poets and Poems: Ada Limón and “The Carrying”
In “The Carrying,” poet Ada Limón takes the commonplace and turns it into reflections and meditations that are both personal and universal.
Poets and Poems: Sr. Sharon Hunter and “To Shatter Glass”
The 56 poems of “To Shatter Glass” by Sr. Sharon Hunter strive to make sense of a life filled with pain, grief, and suffering.
Sitting in ‘Mildred’s Garden’ with Laura Boggess
“Mildred’s Garden” by Laura Boggess combines music, poetry, the beauty of West Virginia, and a refugee story into a delight of a novel.
Poets and Poems: Peter A and ‘Art of Insomnia’
The poems of “Art of Insomnia” by Peter A tell the story of a profound grief, a loss so devastating that the poet questions his existence.
‘Spoon River America’: Jason Stacy on the Myth of the Small Town
“Spoon River America” by Jason Stacy explains how the myth of the small Midwestern town supplanted the myth of the New England village.
Reading Generously: Sacred Reading with Jane Eyre
Some books bear up under rereading generously, like Charlote Brontë’s “Jane Eyre.” Especially with sacred reading.
Poets and Poems: Thomas Colquith and ‘Let Our Memories Escape’
“Let Our Memories Escape” by poet Thomas Colquith demonstrates that time is the theme running through all aspects of our lives.
Poets and Poems: Iain Thomas and ‘The Truth of You’
“The Truth of You,” a new poetry collection by writer and poet Iain Thomas, is an affirmation of both love and life.
Reading the 1913 Edition of ‘Cassell’s Illustrated Shakespeare’
To read “Cassell’s Illustrated Shakespeare” is to rediscover the great playwright and step into a time when families read Shakespeare.
Poets and Poems: Yrsa Daley-Ward and ‘bone’
The poems of “bone” by Yrsa Daley-Ward create discomfort, jolting the reader into an awareness of a very different and personal experience.
Reading Generously: Violent Stories
Why do we read violent stories? In this month’s Reading Generously column, Megan Willome reads Cormac McCarthy and Angie Thomas.
Poets and Poems: Atticus and ‘The Dark Between Stars’
“The Dark Between Stars: Poems” by the Instagram poet Atticus takes the reader on a visual journey to love lost and love found.
Poets and Poems: Paul Willis and ‘Somewhere to Follow’
“Somewhere to Follow,” the new poetry collection by Paul Willis, invites the reader to find the sacred in the everyday.
Poets and Poems: Claude McKay and ‘Harlem Shadows’
Almost a century later, the poems of “Harlem Shadows” by Claude McKay remain a statement for recognition, courage, and determination.