In “Desert Tracings,” Michael Sells translates six pre-Islamic Arabian odes created in the oral tradition of Bedouin tribes before the rise of Islam.
Top 10 Reasons Why “Grandfather” Is the Best Job in the World
Being a grandfather is the best job in the world, and here are the top 10 reasons why. It’s also possibly the easiest, because your grandchildren teach you.
Buried in the Basement: “Tolkien’s Lost Chaucer” by John Bowers
A significant work by J.R.R. Tolkien on Chaucer sat unnoticed in a library basement for 60 years. “Tolkien’s Lost Chaucer” tells the story.
Editor of the Legendarium: Christopher Tolkien (1924-2020)
We owe a great debt to Christopher Tolkien, who as literary executor of his father’s estate unlocked the legendarium of Middle-earth.
Poetry Prompt: What Silence Does
Join author Callie Feyen as she considers silence — what it is, what it does, and whether it’s useful. Then write a poem about it.
Wisdom Literature: The Aphorisms of Yahia Lababidi
“Signposts to Elsewhere,” a collection of aphorisms by poet Yahia Lababidi, is a beautifully rendered work, full of poetry and wisdom.
Poetry Prompt: What Kind of Quiet?
How many kinds of quiet do you find (and feel) in your day? Join author Callie Feyen as she explores the many kinds of quiet that seep through our days.
A Ritual to Read to Each Other: Reading to Aragog
Join author Megan Willome in the new column, A Ritual to Read to Each Other, and consider what you might read to a giant dangerous and dying spider?
Poets and Poems: Juliette van der Molen and “Anatomy of a Dress”
“Anatomy of a Dress” by poet Juliette Van Dermolen is a short collection of poems that are strong enough not to need the author’s explanation.
Reader, Come Home … to a Ritual to Read to Each Other
Start a new ritual! Join us on a new reading journey as we read wisdom to each other with poet William Stafford as our guide and declarer.
“Chaucer: A European Life” by Marion Turner
“Chaucer: A European Life” by Marion Turner is a significant work of scholarship on the context of the life of Geoffrey Chaucer.
Prompt: A How-To Story
What rituals do you practice in your writing routine? Join author Callie Feyen in following how-to poetry prompts (or journal entries, stories, or collages).
Poets and Poems: Edward Holmes and “Bravery & Brevity”
“Bravery & Brevity,” the new poetry collection by Edward Holmes, is written from a place of transformation, moving from pain to hope.
W.H. Auden’s “September 1, 1939″ – The Biography of a Poem by Ian Sansom
“September 1, 1939” is one of Auden’s most famous poems. But British writer Ian Sansom sees the flaws. His biography of the poem and the poet is marvelous.
Songwriting and Writing: “Adorning the Dark” by Andrew Peterson
“Adorning the Dark” by writer and songwriter Andrew Peterson speaks to the mystery at the center of writing, creativity, and inspiration.
Poets and Poems: David Russell and “An Ever River”
The poems of “An Ever River” by British poet David Russell remind us that we are part of a larger whole that continues, even when damaged and mended.
Reader Come Home: “Adjustments”
Come learn the secrets of being a deep reader as we read ‘Adjustments,’ a very funny book about a man not unlike Keats. And share your October pages in our Reader, Come Home roundup.
A Poetic Novel to Turn You Upside Down: “Lanny” by Max Porter
In “Lanny,” British author Max Porter bends literary and artistic genres, creating a work that’s about art and its wonderful and fearsome effects.
“The Art of the Essay” Book Club: Slant
In a tell-all environment, how do we write essays when we can’t tell it all? We tell it slant. Join us for our book club on ‘The Art of the Essay.”
Simon Armitage, the New British Poet Laureate
Simon Armitage is the new British poet laureate, and his most recent collection, “The Unaccompanied,” shows a poet at the top of his art.