The poems of “To Keep from Undressing” by Aisha Sharif tell the powerful story of a black woman and her Muslim faith in America.
National Book Award for Poetry: “Indecency” by Justin Phillip Reed
The poems of the 2018 National Book Award for Poetry Winner “Indecency” by Justin Phillip Reed are as haunting as the streets they come from.
Gratitude Poetry Prompt: Mystery of Marriage
Author Callie Feyen looks to explain twenty years of marriage as a mysterious – albeit lovely – poem.
It’s Poetry at Work Day — Discovering the Poetry of Gratitude
Today is 2019 Poetry at Work Day, with a tale of how a book of poetry led to one of the writer’s best work projects — and to gratitude for the work.
By Heart: “Let Evening Come” + New Frost “Stopping by Woods” Challenge
The nights are short and sometimes the holidays are hard. Find comfort in this month’s By Heart column, in which we wrap up our memorization of Jane Kenyon’s “Let Evening Come.”
Poets and Poems: James Matthew Wilson and “The Hanging God”
The poems of “The Hanging God” by James Matthew Wilson present an irresistible urge, almost a compulsion, to reread them to find new layers of meaning.
Poetry Prompt: Thankful Acrostics When Poetry Feels Like It’s Gone
Callie Feyen believed she’d lost the poetry of teaching, but Megan Willome showed her that poetry (and teaching) hadn’t lost *her.*
Poets and Poems: Matt Duggan and “A Season in Another World”
“A Season in Another World” by British poet Matt Duggan takes us on a journey steeped in legend, myth, fable, and fairy tale.
Poets and Poems: Luke Kennard and “Planet-Shaped Horse”
In “Planet-Shaped Horse” by British poet Luke Kennard, be prepared for fun-punched discoveries about words, language, ideas, and conventions.
Memories Poetry Prompt: Something Lost
Is there something you remember that you wish you could return to? Join Callie Feyen in stirring your memories of lost things you wish you could find again—and put them in a poem!
Poets and Poems: Mary Karr and “Tropic of Squalor”
“Tropic of Squalor” by poet and memorist Mary Karr demonstrates Karr’s well-earned reputation for excellence in imagery and metaphor.
Memories Poetry Prompt: A List
A good rule for writing true is, start with what bothers you. But what do we do when what bothers us is too much to figure into a story? How about making a list?
Poetry, World War I, and Armistice Day
World War I is the war most closely associated with poetry; poetry characterized the war, and the war changed poetry unlike any war before or since.
Poetry Prompt: Come Back To Your Heart (Map)
Looking for ways to tap into your memories and turn them into stories or poems? Try heart mapping, a creative exercise in exploring what you hold close.
Poetry, Fiction, or What? “The Long Take” by Robin Robertson
“The Long Take” by British poet Robin Robertson, shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize, is a poetry book, a novel, and a noir movie.
Halloween Poetry Prompt: Never Too Old For …
Join Callie Feyen as she confesses why Halloween is a favorite holiday, and also, that she hopes to never grow too old for its make believing.
Paul Kingsnorth: The Poetry of the Future Landscape
The poetry of Paul Kingsnorth is continually looking at the landscape, the landscape of the future superimposed on the landscape of the past.
Poetry Prompt: Fall Invitation Poems
Writer Callie Feyen takes advice from poet Tania Runyan and instead of describing, she invites the reader into a memory of a fall day.
Fall Poetry Prompt: Coming Home Poems
A new name for an old tradition takes author Callie Feyen on a trip down memory lane, and she finds herself at home on a rainy fall evening. Come home, too, with your own poems!
Poetry Prompt: October, Fall, and Foliage “As In” Poems
October, as fresh and beautiful as it is, lends itself to cliche. This week, try an “As In” poem to see and describe October, fall, and foliage in a new way.