In “A Very Short Introduction,” Jonathan Post has written a concise and insightful summary of the life and poetry of Elizabeth Bishop.
Poetry Prompt: Observation that Evokes
Observations can evoke—even in a swimming pool. Callie Feyen considers the micro-essays and art of “The Swimming Studies” by Leanne Shapton.
It’s Been a Good Year for Poetic Biographies and Anthologies
The year 2022 is shaping up as one of the best in recent memory for the publication of poetic biographies and anthologies.
Poets and Poems: David Russell and “Quadrilateral: Utterances”
“Quadrilateral: Utterances” by David Russell is a feast of language that leaves you both sated and hungry for more.
Poetry Prompt: When I Am Old
What kind of person will I be “When I am old”? Callie Feyen writes a poem in which she relishes, for a moment, being exactly who she is.
“The Illustrated Emily Dickinson” for Children – and Adults
“The Illustrated Emily Dickinson” by Ryan Van Cleave introduces the poet and 25 of her best-known poems to younger audiences.
Poetry Prompt: But Take Away The Fear
Teacher and author Callie Feyen can’t take away the fear of creating something new, but she can help you turn your fear into poetry.
Earth Song Book Club: Poems in the Silence
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Classic Biography: “Edgar Lee Masters” by Herbert Russell
In his classic biography of Edgar Lee Masters, Herbert Russell tells the story of a writer defined by one single, enormously successful work.
Poetry Prompt: Poem for a Summer’s Finish
Join author Callie Feyen has she explores summer’s finish and autumn’s beginning as her daughter prepares to start high school.
Poets and Poems: Kathy Fagan and “Bad Hobby”
The 45 poems of “Bad Hobby” by Kathy Fagan return continually to the importance of family and relationships.
Poets and Poems: Simon Armitage and “The Owl and the Nightingale”
British Poet Laureate Simon Armitage has translated the medieval poem “The Owl and the Nightingale,” and it sounds rather familiar.
Poetry Prompt: Start Your Writing with Inspiration
How does a writer start writing? With inspiration. For Callie Feyen, that begins with a poem.
Poetry Prompt: A Start Poem
When do you know it’s time to start? Callie Feyen writes a poem about it and invites you to write one too.
Poems to Listen By: Time Lines 2—Sonnet 116
Laurie Klein is back with another Time Lines episode and a riddle of unseen possibility, this time with Shakespeare’s Sonnets 116 and 123.
Poets and Poems: Colm Tóibín and “Vinegar Hill”
“Vinegar Hill” is the first book of poetry by novelist and writer Colm Tóibín, and it underscores his reputation for storytelling.
Poetry Prompt: It Is the Poet Who Looks
It is the Poet who looks. Join Callie Feyen as she contemplates the wreck of the Wilhelm Gustloff while awaiting the results of a Covid test.
“Eliot After ‘The Waste Land’” by Robert Crawford
With “Eliot After ‘The Waste Land,'” British poet and writer Robert Crawford completes his monumental biography of T.S. Eliot.
Poets and Poems: Michał Choiński and “Gifts Without Wrapping”
“Gifts Without Wrapping,” a chapbook of poems by Michał Choiński, describes love and desire in the 21st century.
Poetry Prompt: Purple Moths + Dragons
Join author Callie Feyen as she considers purple moths and dragons and the asymmetry of the world and herself.