Tony Hoagland writes words he cannot find, and plays to our baser instincts to call us to greater things in search of a stolen earth.
Poets and Poems: Mike Bond and “The Drum That Beats Within Us”
“The Drum That Beats Within Us” by Mike Bond is a collection by a warrior poet, a warrior prepared to fight to the death with the soul of a poet.
Poetry Prompt: Cupcake Poems
Join author Callie Feyen as she and her young library patrons imagine up cupcakes to bake for their favorite Mother Goose and fairy tale characters.
Poets and Poems: Nick Laird and “Feel Free”
The poems of “Feel Free,” the newest collection by Irish poet Nick Laird, explore ideas of freedom and restraints, opening up worlds of imagination.
Poetry Prompt: Five Senses Poems
Join author Callie Feyen as she hunts for spring with a group of second graders. Then get your own senses kindled and respond with a poem!
National Poetry Month: Tony Hoagland and the Body + Group Poetry Dare
Poems, perhaps more especially now the ones that talk about bodies, have the means to calm and they make me grateful, like Hoagland, “for the lives I / never have to live again.”
Making a Life With Poetry, Together
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Poets and Poems: Ailbhe Darcy and “Insistence”
In her new poetry collection, “Insistence,” Ailbhe Darcy explores the responsibility of the poet and the individual to address great issues of the day.
National Poetry Month: Writing Down the Words from Tony Hoagland + Group Dare
This National Poetry Month, we invite you to a group Poetry Dare, reading a single poet all month long and writing poems longhand or creating a collage inspired by the poems. LW Willingham leads the way, with Tony Hoagland.
“The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Bai” by Ha Jin
“The Banished Immortal” by Ha Jin tells the story of Li Bai, considered China’s greatest poet, in an account drawn largely from his poetry.
Sun and Moon Poems: Night Poetry Prompt
Join author Callie Feyen as she confesses her fear of teaching Romeo and Juliet, and realizes there is much more to see than what she’s afraid of.
Ocean as Metaphor: “The Crossing Over” by Jen Karetnick
“The Crossing Over,” the new poetry collection by Jen Karetnick, uses the ocean as metaphor, offering its bounty but demanding its sacrifices.
Smiles, Laughter & Joys: Humor Me Poetry Prompt
What happens when two authors who publish within days of each other find themselves celebrating at the same local hangout? Lots of laughter, thanks to great friends.
Poets and Poems: Phoebe Power and “Shrines of Upper Austria”
In “Shrines of Upper Austria,” British poet Phoebe Power explores a common theme in contemporary power — identity, her own and that of her grandmother.
Poets and Poems: James Matthew Wilson and “Some Permanent Things”
The poems of “Some Permanent Things” by James Matthew Wilson speak to the transient and the permanent in our history, our lives, and our future.
Smiles, Laughter & Joys: Reading Treasure Prompt
Join author Callie Feyen, a bunch of pirates, and a great group of kindergarteners and first graders as they hunt for treasure found in stories. Then write your own treasure poem!
The T.S. Eliot Prize: “Three Poems” by Hannah Sullivan
The language of “Three Poems” by Hannah Sullivan, the 2018 T.S. Eliot Prize winner, is sharp, clear, and devoid of ambiguity. And it is indeed three poems.
Poets and Poems: Benjamin Myers and “Black Sunday”
In “Black Sunday,” Benjamin Myers uses poetry to explore and illustrate what happened to the people and the land during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
Writing, Paper & Quills: Ode to a Planner Prompt
Whether you are a planner or prefer to fly by the seat of your pants, author Callie Feyen has some thoughts on the practice and poetry of keeping a planner.
Poets and Poems: David Bottoms and “Otherworld, Underworld, Prayer Porch”
The poems of “Otherworld, Underworld, Prayer Porch” by David Bottoms reach back to the people and stories that shape our minds and hearts.