The Talking Poem Podcast

After a summer hiatus, I chat with Nicole Cooley about Lucille Clifton's poem "June 20" from her 1992 collection The Book of Light, which was re-released by Copper Canyon last year with an introduction by Ross Gay and an afterword by Clifton's daughter Sidney Clifton. We talk about the unusual verb tense, what's scary about the poem, and just how sharp Clifton's images are. After that, Nicole shares her poem "Downriver" from her ne...

I talk with Maris Kreizman (The Maris Review; Lit Hub column) about former guest Kim Addonizio's poem "To the Woman Crying Uncontrollably in the Next Stall." We talk about viral poems; what propels Addonizio's poem in particular; and shared experiences. The audio has some small glitches--sorry about that. Afterward, we play a game I call "But that has nothing to do with baseball." Episode brought to you by a new cryptocurrency for ...

I talk with Ronnie K. Stephens (The Poetry Question; The Kaleidoscope Sisters) about Andrea Gibson's prose poem "Tincture." Up front, apologies to Andrea Gibson, who I misgendered early on in the recording; thanks to Ronnie for his graciousness. We talk about the question of prose poems, pain, and sentimentality. Afterward, we play a less comic, more straightforward game I call "Pulitzer Prize Winner Kendrick Lamar 1, Drake 0." Thi...

I talk with comedian and writer Josh Gondelman about Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem "God's World." We talk about beauty, growing up Jewish (him, not me, I'm not stealing valor), sound, and sports. Afterward, I go on a long pun run, and we play two games: "Rogan, Josh?" and "I Heard a Fly Ball When I Died."

Also mentioned:

• The Bugle podcast
• The All Fantasy Everything podcast
• Comedian Andy Zaltzman
• Kim Addonizio's "To the Woman Crying...

In this space and Taylor Swift-centric episode, I talk with Lisa Ampleman (Mom in Space) about Jorie Graham's poem "The Way Things Work" (The Dream of the Unified Field). Lisa has to sway me on this poem a bit. We chat about faith, infertility, and Rube Goldberg machines. Then Lisa shares her fantastic poem "Tenuous Blueprint" and I gush. Afterward, we play a game I call "My Very Elegant Mother Just Sat Upon Nine Porcupines" (Justi...

In this Short Form episode, I talk about the problems with Jeffrey McDaniels' poem "The Jesus Fridge," which was the Academy of American Poets' Poem-a-Day on March 29. I close by sharing Fady Joudah's excellent poem "[. . .}," which was Poem-a-Day on April 2.

Some links to Palestine news that I mention in the episode:

• Mass starvation of Palestinians
• Deaths of children in Palestine
• October 7 stories retracted
• Deaths of journalists an...

In this return from a short break, I chat with David Baker (Whale Fall) about Gerard Manley Hopkins' "terrible sonnet" "No worst, there is none." We talk about so much here: how David's students made sense of the poem, how modern Hopkins is, the attention to sound (of course). David also shares an astonishing insight from one of his students. Afterward, we play a game with a Welsh surprise. Brought to you by a new brewery.

Also ment...

I talk with Lisa B (Lisa Bernstein), author of God in Her Ruffled Dress, about George Herbert's "The Flower." We have a great chat, AND I owe Lisa because we had to re-record the first half. We talk about the sensual, the erotic, and sound, among many other things. Then Lisa reads and we talk about her poem "God #2." After that, we play an audio game titled "Excuse me while I kiss this guy, because we built this city on sausage rol...

I talk with Dr. Emily Jones about Sonnet 45 from Sir Philip Sidney's sequence Astrophil and Stella. We talk about Taylor Swift, sonnet sequences, and women poets, among other things. Afterward, we play a game about Shakespeare's sonnets. Episode brought to you by a major network comedy and a new chain of restaurants from Guy Fieri (not that one; the other one).

Also mentioned:

• Early modern scholar Melissa Sanchez
• Anne Locke's sonn...

I talk with poet Diane Mehta (Tiny Extravaganzas) about Ciaran Carson's poem "John Constable, Study of Clouds, 1822." (Painting at the poem link; larger image here.) We talk about Constable and the view of the painting; death; music in Carson's poetry and others; Hamlet; why we're not fans of the last two lines. Afterward, Diane reads her fabulous poem "Extended Melodies." Then it's onto the game "The Undiscovered Country Puzzles t...

I talk with Patricia Spears Jones (The Beloved Community) about Lorenzo Thomas' poem "The Bathers." We discuss the Birmingham Children's Crusade; growing up in Arkansas; the Black Arts Movement and New York School; Egyptology; the legacy of Lorenzo Thomas; and more. Afterward Patricia reads her poem "Green Ribbons" about the Atlanta Child Murders. We cry, we laugh. I also help her learn some important celebrity trivia.

Topics includ...

I talk with Nicky Beer (Real Phonies and Genuine Fakes) about torrin a. greathouse's poem "Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination Before a Diagnosis Can Be Made." We talk cripple-punk, bad doctors, abecedarians and formal choices, and a "transgender arm." Afterward, we play a game about beer (not Nicky).

Also mentioned:

• Natalie Diaz's "Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian ...

I talk with Diné poet Kinsale Drake about Natalie Diaz's poem "They Don't Love You Like I Love You," when about Kinsale's poem "(Re)location." We talk about platonic love, Indigenous writing, line breaks, and scale. Afterward, Kinsale has the most positive response yet to learning what the game is. This episode is sponsored by an old man trying to sound young.

Also mentioned:

• Simon Ortiz
• Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese”
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs's ...