World War I is the war most closely associated with poetry; poetry characterized the war, and the war changed poetry unlike any war before or since.
Poetry, Fiction, or What? “The Long Take” by Robin Robertson
“The Long Take” by British poet Robin Robertson, shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize, is a poetry book, a novel, and a noir movie.
Poets and Poems: David Whyte and “The Bell and the Blackbird”
“The Bell and the Blackbird,” the new poetry collection by David Whyte, is full of surprises but retains Whyte’s trademark simplicity and depth.
The Abounding Creativity of Middle-earth: An Appreciation of J.R.R. Tolkien
With his stories of Middle-earth, J.R.R. Tolkien gave us a legacy of abounding creativity and imagination, explaining how myths are made.
The Last of the Tolkien Tales: “The Fall of Gondolin”
“The Fall of Gondolin,” the last of the tales of J.R.R. Tolkien, includes all of the author’s trademark themes and devices, including orcs and balrogs.
The Origin of a Monster: Happy Birthday, Frankenstein!
The gothic novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley is 200 years old this year, and its core concern about the unintended consequences of science still apply.
A Strangely Contemporary Verse Play: “Murder in the Cathedral” by T.S. Eliot
“Murder in the Cathedral” by T.S. Eliot, written and produced in 1935, was one of the last verse plays written for the stage. It is also oddly contemporary.
Marjorie Maddox and “Transplant, Transport, Transubstantiation”
The poems of “Transplant, Trnasport, Transubstantiation” by Marjorie Maddox take us to the world of change and loss, and what sustains us.
A New Exhibition: Tolkien and the Making of Middle-earth
A new exhibition on J.R.R. Tolkien has opened at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and the catalog book is a treasure in and of itself.
“Love Songs”: Claiming Sara Teasdale for St. Louis
Sara Teasdale lived 34 of her 48 years in St. Louis; she was born and buried there, and St. Louis can claim her as one of its own poets.
The Poets of Instagram: r.h. Sin and “I Hope This Reaches Her in Time”
The poets of Instagram are helping to revitalize the reading of poetry, and r.h. Sin is one of them. His new collection is “I Hope This Reaches Her in Time.”
What’s Your Favorite Book?
What’s your favorite book? Bethany Rohde considers our favorites, and the sometimes difficult choice for readers with no single standout.
The 2017 Walt Whitman Award: “Eye Level” by Jenny Xie
“Eye Level” by Jenny Xie, a collection of poems marked by spareness and precision, is the 2017 winner of the Walt Whitman Award.
Strange and Wonderful Worlds: How I Discovered Science Fiction
Back in the late 1970s and 1980s, I discovered a literary genre that I knew existed but generally paid little attention to: science fiction.
Alan Seeger: The American Poet in World War I
One of the most famous poems to emerge from World War I was written by an American. Alan Seeger wrote “I Have a Rendezvous with Death” shortly before he died.
Make It a Fairy Tale Summer—With The Golden Dress!
T. S. Poetry Press is delighted to announce its new picture book, The Golden Dress: A Fairy Tale. One dress, sparkly and shimmery, grants wishes for a long, long time. Then the “emerald day” comes, and everything is about to change. Will the dress survive? That’s up to one girl, who needs to open her heart and her hands.
“The Fall of Arthur” – A Fragment by J.R.R. Tolkien
The legend of King Arthur has captivated imaginations for centuries. Geoffrey of Monmouth started it, and even J.R.R. Tolkien tried his hand at it.
“The Old Curiosity Shop:” Charles Dickens and a Road Trip!
“The Old Curiosity Shop” by Charles Dickens, with some of the author’s most memorable characters, isn’t about a shop at all — it’s about a road trip.
Poets and Poems: Darren Demaree and “Two Towns Over”
The 56 poems of “Two Towns Over” by poet Darren Demaree powerfully document the devastation of the opioid addiction crisis.
Shakespeare (via Ian Doescher) Does Star Wars
Writer Ian Doescher has taken the stories of “Star Wars” and applied Shakespeare to them, as in “The Empire Striketh Back.”