“Threnody” by poet Donna Hilbert reminds us that lament is inspired by grief, which is in turn inspired by deep love.
Poets and Poems: Daniel Leach and “Places the Soul Goes”
In “Places the Soul Goes,” poet Daniel Leach takes us on a journey of discovery that transcends time and space.
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.
Poets and Poems: Tina Barry and “Beautiful Raft”
Poet Tina Barry discovers a forgotten woman, and tells her story in “Beautiful Raft,” a work of fiction written as prose poems.
Poets and Poems: Yahia Lababidi and “Learning to Pray”
In “Learning to Pray,” poet Yahia Lababidi asks an eternal question: how do we fill the spiritual vacuum in our hearts?
Poets and Poems: Kelly Chripczuk and “The Courage It Takes”
The poems of “The Courage It Takes” by Kelly Chripczuk tell the story of the disconnect between inner self and outer reality.
Poets and Poems: Shane McCrae and “Sometimes I Never Suffered”
In “Sometimes I Never Suffered,” poet Shane McCrae uses the historical figure of a mixed-race boy to tell a larger story.
Reading Generously: Stories with Older Characters
How do we develop empathy? By reading fiction—generously. This month we focus on older characters in a novel by Ernest J. Gaines.
Poets and Poems: David Russell Mosley and “The Green Man”
To read the poems of “The Green Man” by David Russell Mosley is to walk the ancient paths of Nature and faith.
Poets and Poems: Brittney Corrigan and “Daughters”
In “Daughters,” poet Brittney Corrigan has imagined the experience of the daughter of 50 figures of fiction fairy tales, folklore, and myth.
Poets and Poems: Mark Johnson Cole and “Four Texas Quartets”
Mark Johnson Cole has constructed a poetic mythology of his home state in “Four Texas Quartets,” and he’s honored T.S. Eliot along the way.
Poets and Poems: Ada Limón and “The Carrying”
In “The Carrying,” poet Ada Limón takes the commonplace and turns it into reflections and meditations that are both personal and universal.
Poets and Poems: Sr. Sharon Hunter and “To Shatter Glass”
The 56 poems of “To Shatter Glass” by Sr. Sharon Hunter strive to make sense of a life filled with pain, grief, and suffering.
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.
Poets and Poems: Peter A and ‘Art of Insomnia’
The poems of “Art of Insomnia” by Peter A tell the story of a profound grief, a loss so devastating that the poet questions his existence.
‘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.
Reading Generously: Sacred Reading with Jane Eyre
Some books bear up under rereading generously, like Charlote Brontë’s “Jane Eyre.” Especially with sacred reading.
Poets and Poems: Thomas Colquith and ‘Let Our Memories Escape’
“Let Our Memories Escape” by poet Thomas Colquith demonstrates that time is the theme running through all aspects of our lives.
Poets and Poems: Iain Thomas and ‘The Truth of You’
“The Truth of You,” a new poetry collection by writer and poet Iain Thomas, is an affirmation of both love and life.
Reading the 1913 Edition of ‘Cassell’s Illustrated Shakespeare’
To read “Cassell’s Illustrated Shakespeare” is to rediscover the great playwright and step into a time when families read Shakespeare.