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.
Poets and Poems: Athena Kildegaard and “Course”
The poems of “Course” by Athena Kildegaard provide a kind of natural sanctuary, where one comes to watch and to listen to what the landscape has to say.
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.
Poets and Poems: Karen Paul Holmes and “No Such Thing as Distance”
In her new poetry collection “No Such Thing as Distance,” what matters most to Karen Paul Holmes, both in her head and her heart, is family.
Take Your Poet to School Week: Eugene Field, the Poet of Childhood
Eugene Field is perhaps the perfect poet for Take Your Poet to School Week. It was the schoolchildren of St. Louis who saved his house from demolition.
The Poetry of Farming: “Water at the Roots” by Philip Britts
“Water in the Roots,” a collection of the writings and poetry of Philip Britts, describes the life, faith, and farming practices of the Bruderhof community.
Finding Jack Gilbert and “Refusing Heaven” in a Bookstore
Finding “Refusing Heaven” by Jack Gilbert in a Chicago-area bookstore leads to a consideration of what matters in these lives we live.
Poets and Poems: Matt Duggan and “One Million Tiny Cuts”
“One Million Tiny Cuts” by poet Matt Duggan is a bold, angry collection of poems, full of vivid images and metaphors, and a kind of fist raised at society.
Reading in the Wild: January’s Pages
Come learn the secrets of being a wild reader. Or just share your January pages. Megan Willome leads the way, with her January good reads.
The T.S. Eliot Prize: “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong
“Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong has won the 2017 T.S. Eliot Prize. It is a stunning, haunting, and disquieting collection.
Poets and Poems: Michael Pedersen and “Oyster”
“Oyster” by Scottish poet Michael Pedersen is a jarring, irreverent poetry collection that wallops you with unexpected tenderness.
Poets and Poems: Jennifer Wallace and “Almost Entirely”
“Almost Entirely” by Jennifer Wallace contains 73 poems that look deeply at what makes us human, and what is within us that keeps reaching for the divine.
Your Work Is Poetry: Poetry at Work Day 2018!
Today is Poetry at Work Day 2018. Most poets have day jobs, because poetry isn’t that lucrative a profession. But poetry is inherent in all work.
Poets and Poems: Tania Runyan and “What Will Soon Take Place”
The 54 poems of “What Will Soon Take Place” by Tania Runyan are inspired by an unexpected source — the Book of Revelation in the Bible.
Poets and Poems: Sinead Morrissey and “On Balance”
“On Balance,” the new poetry collection by Sinead Morrissey, reminds us that technology brings both the good and the tradeoff.
Poets and Poems: Caroline Bird and “In These Days of Prohibition”
“In These Days of Prohibition” by poet Caroline Bird forces us to see the meaning of ourselves and the life around us in different and unexpected ways.
Poets and Poems: Simon Armitage Translates “Pearl”
British poet Simon Armitage has translated the late Middle English poem “Pearl,” a beautiful poem about a father’s grief and how he resolves it.
Poets and Poems: Tara Skurtu and “The Amoeba Game”
In “The Amoeba Game,” poet Tara Skurtu explores her American and Romanian roots and writes about life, childhood, self-discovery, and identity.
Poe, Rilke, and Our Black Cat
This Halloween, your black cat can be the instrument of vengeance in the Poe story, or the amber-eyed feline in the poem by Rilke. Or it can be like Kiddy.
Poets and Poems: Luke Kennard and “Cain”
In “Cain: Poems,” British poet Luke Kennard has brought the biblical character of Cain into contemporary life, with funny and poignant results.