Author Laura Brown discusses how curiosity deepens friendship, using the children’s book “Can I Touch Your Hair: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship.”
Poets and Poems: Shanna Powlus Wheeler and “Evensong for Shadows”
Shanna Powlus Wheeler’s first full poetry collection, “Evensong for Shadows,” suggests the omnipresence of grief — a measure of the loss of love or happiness or relationship, and very much a part of life.
Horace Traubel and the Final Words of Walt Whitman
Thanks to Horace Traubel, we know much about Walt Whitman’s last years, Brenda WIneapple says in “Walt Whitman Speaks.”
From Mountain to Mountain: The Power of Poetry for People Affected by Trauma
Poet James Elsaesser, of the DASI Prevention Team in New Jersey, discusses the power of poetry to move people affected by trauma from mountain to mountain.
The 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: “Be With” by Forrest Gander
“Be With” by Forrest Gander won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The quietly stunning collection stimulates reflection and introspection on every page.
Travel and Love: The Poetry of Catharine Savage Brosman
The poetry of Catharine Savage Brosman, especially in her later collections, is about travel, and the love she has for her “then and now again” husband.
Poets and Poems: Michael Spence and “Umbilical”
Poet Michael Spence published four collections during 30 years as a bus driver. His fifth, “Umbilical,” won the New Criterion Poetry Prize.
Poets and Poems: Mike Bond and “The Drum That Beats Within Us”
“The Drum That Beats Within Us” by Mike Bond is a collection by a warrior poet, a warrior prepared to fight to the death with the soul of a poet.
Afternoon Tea (and Poetry) with Tracy K. Smith’s podcast “The Slowdown”
When author Megan Willome needs an afternoon pick-me-up, she cues up ‘The Slowdown’ with U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith.
Poets and Poems: Nick Laird and “Feel Free”
The poems of “Feel Free,” the newest collection by Irish poet Nick Laird, explore ideas of freedom and restraints, opening up worlds of imagination.
Making a Life With Poetry, Together
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Poets and Poems: Ailbhe Darcy and “Insistence”
In her new poetry collection, “Insistence,” Ailbhe Darcy explores the responsibility of the poet and the individual to address great issues of the day.
“The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Bai” by Ha Jin
“The Banished Immortal” by Ha Jin tells the story of Li Bai, considered China’s greatest poet, in an account drawn largely from his poetry.
Ocean as Metaphor: “The Crossing Over” by Jen Karetnick
“The Crossing Over,” the new poetry collection by Jen Karetnick, uses the ocean as metaphor, offering its bounty but demanding its sacrifices.
Smiles, Laughter & Joys: What Joy Feels Like Poetry Prompt
Join author Callie Feyen as she talks with kindergarteners about being frustrated and watches as they head toward joy, balloons in hand.
“Robert Graves” – A Biography of a War Poet by Jean Moorcroft Wilson
Jean Moorcroft Wilson’s new biography of war poet Robert Graves allows the reader to walk in his shoes and understand his poetry and his odd personal life.
Smiles, Laughter & Joys: Reading Treasure Prompt
Join author Callie Feyen, a bunch of pirates, and a great group of kindergarteners and first graders as they hunt for treasure found in stories. Then write your own treasure poem!
Top Ten Poetic Picks
Ghost apples, Oscars for books, the poetry of disengagement and the first lines of things. It’s a new edition of the long lost Top 10 Poetic Picks.
The T.S. Eliot Prize: “Three Poems” by Hannah Sullivan
The language of “Three Poems” by Hannah Sullivan, the 2018 T.S. Eliot Prize winner, is sharp, clear, and devoid of ambiguity. And it is indeed three poems.
Poets and Poems: Benjamin Myers and “Black Sunday”
In “Black Sunday,” Benjamin Myers uses poetry to explore and illustrate what happened to the people and the land during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.