In “Desert Songs,” poet Yahia Lababidi takes us on a pilgrimage to discover what we don’t know and to lose ourselves.
“Making Darkness Light: The Lives and Times of John Milton” by Joe Moshenska
In “Making Darkness Light,” Joe Moshenska considers the life and poetry of John Milton to make sense of his own life.
Discovered in the Bodleian: “The Lost Tales of Sir Galahad”
“The Lost Tales of Sir Galahad” explain what really happened to the famed knight after he went searching for the Holy Grail. Sort of.
Poems and Photos: Kelly Belmonte, Tom Darin Liskey, and “Transit”
The 22 paired poems and photographs of “Transit” by Kelly Belmonte and Tom Darin Liskey collectively move the heart and stir the soul.
Dickens and the World in 1851: “The Turning Point” by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst
“The Turning Point” by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst tells the story of Charles Dickens in 1851, between “David Copperfield” and “Bleak House.”
Robert Hudson: What Thomas Merton Had on His Record Player
In “The Monk’s Record Player,” Robert Hudson explains how Bob Dylan influenced Thomas Merton – and defined a moment in America.
The Enduring Appeal of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
“Sir Gawain and the Green Night” continues to find readers and audiences, helped by modern translations and a movie with Dev Patel.
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.
‘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.
Was Tolkien Influenced Only by the Middle Ages? Holly Ordway Says No
In “Tolkien’s Modern Reading,” Holly Ordway persuasively argues that the literary influences on J.R.R. Tolkien were broad and diverse.
An Ode to Poetry: “How to Write a Form Poem” by Tania Runyan
“How to Write a Form Poem” by Tania Runyan is a guide to 10 poetic forms. It also stands as an ode to poetry.
A Novel About Hughes and Plath: “Your Story, My Story” by Connie Palmen
In the novel “Your Story, My Story,” Dutch author Connie Palmen tells an unexpected story of the poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath.
Forgotten Classics: “Understood Betsy” by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
In “Understood Betsy,” Dorothy Canfield Fisher wrote a timeless children’s story about growing up and self-reliance.
“How to Think Like Shakespeare” by Scott Newstok
In “How to Think Like Shakespeare,” Scott Newstok considers the purpose of education and what we can learn from Shakespeare.
Robert Hudson Explains the House Fly — and Poetry
In “The Poet and the Fly,” Robert Hudson considers seven poets and how they used the common house fly to develop their themes.
Poets and Poems: Jane Kenyon and “Best Poems”
“The Best Poems of Jane Kenyon” provides a wonderful introduction to the full range of her accomplishments as a poet.
“Cross of Snow: A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by Nicholas Basbanes
“Cross of Snow” examines the lives of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his wife Frances (“Fanny”), noting her significant contributions to his work.
Poetry and Healing: “Waiting for Neruda’s Memoirs” by Laura Boggess
The novella “Waiting for Neruda’s Memoirs” by Laura Boggess tells a story of a woman haunted by voices and healed through the power of poetry.
Poetry as a Way of Ordering Experience: “The Music of Time” by John Burnside
Poetry can be a way to bring meaning and order to one’s life, writes John Burnside in “The Music of Time: Poetry in the Twentieth Century.”
Rethinking the Role of the Poet: Essays by Micah Mattix
“The Soul Is a Stranger in This World” by Micah Mattix takes a refreshing look at familiar contemporary poets—and at the role of poetry itself.