What memories do you have of swimming as a child? Join Callie Feyen as thinks about her own summertime memories and of swimming to the horizon.
Poets and Poems: Maurice Manning and “Railsplitter”
In “Railsplitting,” poet Maurice Manning crawls inside the head of Abraham Lincoln, recalling and imagining his life, struggles, and legacy.
Poetry Prompt: Swimming in Sand
Join author Callie Feyen as she explores a poetry prompt about swimming in sand, drawn from memories of several trips to Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Poetry Prompt: For the Birds
What do you need to push away from in order to take flight? Join Callie Feyen as she considers resistance as a mighty force that’s not just for the birds.
Poets and Poems: Major Jackson and “Holding Company”
The 2010 collection “Holding Company” by Major Jackson leads the eye and mind to a different understanding and a different context.
Poetry Prompt: Poems of Emergence
The 17-year cicada will emerge this summer. What else is emerging in the world? Join author Callie Feyen as she considers how to write poems of emergence.
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.
Poetry Prompt: Finding Poetry from Fear
Author Callie Feyen takes a dare to write nature poetry, finding inspiration from daredevil Robert Frost.
It Was a Marvelous Year: “The Making of Poetry” by Adam Nicholson
In “The Making of Poetry,” Adam Nicolson tells the story of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797-98, when they created some of the greatest poetry written in the English language.
Poets and Poems: S.R. Jakobi and “Antiques & Curios”
The 96 poems of “Antiques & Curios” by S.R. Jakobi tell the story of a love affair between an older man and younger woman, one that continues in memory.
Pooh, On Poetry
Author Megan Willome takes poetry advice from Winnie-the-Pooh and revises a poem.
Poets and Poems: Sarah Thomson and “Before It’s Too Late”
“Before It’s Too Late,” the new chapbook by U.K. poet Sarah Thomson, explores the ideas of impermanence and fragility in relationships, locations, and life.
It’s Poem on Your Pillow Day!
Tired after National Poetry Month? Relax with a soft, fluffy pillow and share the joy of poetry. It’s Poem on Your Pillow Day!
Poets and Poems: River Dixon and “Left Waiting”
In “Left Waiting: And Other Poems,” River Dixon reaches for words to make sense of what happens in life, to take stock and ask why.
Poetry Prompt: Use Your Words
In a time when touch is largely prohibited, author Callie Feyen invites us to turn to poetry to express how we feel about friendship—using more than words.
Pandemic Journal: An Entry on How We Read Poetry
Author Megan Willome reads poetry during the pandemic and finds new focus by absorbing the loveliness of unexpected words.
Poetry Prompt: Baiku Poems
We have all been thrust into a new season, and it hasn’t been easy (to say the least). Callie Feyen introduces us to baiku, a haiku about saying goodbye. So that we can say hello to the new.
By Heart: ‘The Tyger’ + New John O’Donohue Challenge
Join author Megan Willome as she learns William Blake’s ‘The Tyger’ By Heart. And shares a tiger poem by Newbery-winner Nancy Willard too.
Poets and Poems: Matt Duggan and “The Kingdom”
“The Kingdom,” the new chapbook by poet Matt Duggan, returns to what’s past, leaving you wondering if the past never really was.