No Rhyme or Refill

We recorded this episode in January, but it's just now coming to you because life is hard. And that's OK. "I think there is something in beers that I am slightly allergic to." - Erica "I've been having a lot of dreams about giving birth, which is just a lot." - Alyx Beer: Tangyland IPA (Sycamore Brewing) Poetry: "I Am Montana: Student Reflections on Identity and Place" (Free Verse Writing and Second Season, 2022) On Episode 47 of the pod, Erica brings the whimsy with the Tangyland IPA from Sycamore Brewing—a beer selected based on its colorful can—while Alyx brings the substance with readings from "I Am Montana," a book born out of the I Am Montana project. This project helps amplify lesser-heard voices, providing a platform for Montana's incarcerated youth to share their stories and counter the erasure of the prison system. We hope you are as moved by their stories as we are, and that this episode encourages you to think about incarceration and the prison system in a new way. If you are interested in learning more about Free Verse, go to freeverseproject.org.

“What you think is going to kill you is not going to kill you” – Erica "We believe in science and we love puns" - Our new motto Poetry: "Horsefly Dress" by Heather Cahoon (The University of Arizona Press, 2020) Beer: CRISPR Knockout Dry-Hopped Pilsner (Ology Brewing Co) Girlcrush: Ursula K. Le Guin (author)

Let's be honest, we've got a lot going on these days. So instead of leaving you hanging, Alyx and Erica got together to chat about some of their fall favorites—books, records, poetry, beer, we've got it all. Make sure to let us know if you check out any of these favorites, and we'll catch you with a full episode in a few weeks!

Poetry: "When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities" by Chen Chen Beer: Old Stock Ale by North Coast Brewing Company Girl Crush: Robin Wall Kimmerer (author of Braiding Sweetgrass) In Episode 44, Erica gives us the rundown on aging beers, and then she tries the 5-year-aged Old Stock Ale by North Coast Brewing. They they read some of Chen Chen's fabulous poetry! You won't want to miss this one! Cheers.

Poetry: "Pilgrim Bell" by Kaveh Akbar Beer: Les Rougettes by Green Bench Brewing Co. (St. Petersburg, Florida) Girl Crush: Melissa Febos (Author of Girlhood) It's time for Episode 43 and a whole lot of chatter about beer styles, some religion and spirituality, and more. Erica brings to the table a grisette—the pod's first (we think), and one that features foxes on the label. We also have our first duplicate poet with Kaveh Akbar's "Pilgrim Bell" (check out Ep. 22) for our first episode with Akbar's poems! Crack open a beer or your favorite beverage, and enjoy the conversation. Cheers!

Poetry: "Its Day Being Gone" by Rose McLarney (Penguin Poets, 2014) Beer: Escape Button from Athentic Brewing (Athens, GA) Girl Crush: Stephanie Beatriz Bischoff Alvizuri (who plays Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn 99) In the 42nd Episode, Alyx and Erica chat about a new micro-brewery that just celebrated their one-year anniversary, Athentic Brewing. They talk about the Escape Button IPA and then read some poetry from "Its Day Being Gone" by Rose McLarney, who often writes about southern Appalachia, and is currently teaching writing at Auburn University. We talk ecopoetry, bobcats and how the world is sort of ending. Cheers!

Beer: The Dude's Rug from B. Nektar Meadery (Ferndale, Michigan) Poetry: "Eye Leve" by Jenny Xie (Graywolf Press, 2018) Girl Crush: Maria Taylor, sports commentator and UGA grad We said we would be back, and we're holding up our end of the promise! For episode 41, Alyx and Erica discuss The Dude's Rug — a cider with chai spices from B. Nektar — and Erica gives a quick lesson on The Big Lebowski. (Disclaimer, Erica re-watched the movie after recording this episode and apologizes for the plot inaccuracies in her recap. It was fueled by the time she watched the movie five years ago). Alyx also brings poetry from Eye Level by Jenny Xie, a book that highlights belonging, travel, immigration and finding yourself. Grab a beer or other beverage and grab a book, and enjoy the ride! Also please get vaccinated.

No Rhyme or Refill is back for the rest of 2021! Beer: Manic Pixie Dream #2 from Second Self Brewing Company (Atlanta, GA) Poetry: "Oceanic" by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Copper Canyon Press, 2018) Girl Crush: Michelle Zauner, fabulous author, musician and the force behind the indie band Japanese Breakfast After a much longer than anticipated break(hey, we needed it!), Erica and Alyx are back with new episodes of No Rhyme or Refill for the rest of summer 2021 and onward. With master degrees under their belts, a new job for Alyx and a new house for Erica, they're settling back into a beer lovin' and poetry praisin' routine. This week, Erica introduces us to our first ever barleywine, Manic Pixie Dream #2, from a favorite brewery Second Self, and Alyx chats about aubades and the force of beauty that is Aimee Nezhukumatathil's "Oceanic" book. Episode 40 also features a knife lesson from Erica, whether people who don't typically like beer would like barleywines, and a fabulous poem that involves the gigantic whale shark. Cheers! Also recommended: Aimee Nezhukumatathil's "World of Wonders"

"That's what our podcast should be... the study of the first poem in books." "If you're grabbing this out of your friend's cooler, you best hope that they are giving you the warning about it because it is SO smooth!" Beer: Seal Your Face Double IPA (Cahaba Brewing Company, Birmingham, AL) Poetry: Citizen Illegal by José Olivarez (Haymarket Books, 2018) Girl Crush: MissOrchidGirl on YouTube In this week's episode, we talk about the smooth drinking that is Cahaba Brewing Company's 9.2 ABV Double IPA, Seal Your Face, and about their scholarship program for women in Birmingham to take the level 1 Cicerone Certification for beer! Then we talk about José Olivarez's first book, Citizen Illegal. Cheers!

“Rah rah seltzers.” Beer: Sonic Seltzer from Variant Brewing (Roswell, GA) Poetry: “Fanny Says” by Nickole Brown Girl Crush: TheCottageFairy On today’s pod, we stray away from the beer but stick with the craft as Erica discusses a craft seltzer from Variant Brewing. We also address the seltzer hate and why haters are just wrong. For poetry, Alyx brings back some Southern roots and things we didn’t know we needed to learn about Crisco. Kick back and enjoy, and maybe join as we all contemplate “Fuck.”

In Episode 37, Erica is doing a mostly-dry January, so she drinks a local Birmingham kombucha called Plant Matter from Harvest Roots Ferments! Alyx shares some amazing poems by Bianca Lynne Spriggs, including one about mandrakes, and then they talk about how mandrakes ARE in fact real and what the mythical history is of them. This week's girl crush is all the women who worked on the newly released movie, Promising Young Woman. Let us know what you think...Cheers and happy inauguration day!

“I feel like millennials just collectively decided, ‘no fruitcake.’” “Any woman that dared to look like she was having too much fun in a public setting... that woman is the devil!” Beer: Christmas Bomb! By Prairie Artisan Ales (McAlester, Oklahoma) Poetry: Selections from The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2019 Girl Crush: Just picture the gif of Saoirse Ronan saying “women” in Little Women. We talk Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, “Happiest Season,” and “trainwreck” women, based on Alyx’s recent reading of “Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock and Fear.” This episode, we wrap up 2020 and are gonna go ahead and release it in 2021. The holidays are over but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a holiday beer. Erica discusses spices and high ABV, while Alyx pulls amazing poems from a book that’s full of things your teachers did not assign you. Start 2021 off right with a good beer, a good book, and hopefully a little less stress than we had in 2021. Cheers!

“If you don’t clean up your apples, then bears will come and eat them.” "I think it's naive to just assume poetry is a form of entertainment and nothing more. It does matter...language and what you say, who's writing it, who can read it." Poems: In Hieu Minh Nguyen's book "Not Here" (Coffee House Press, 2018) Beer: Ranch Hand Hard Cider by Western Cider (Missoula, Montana) Finally, a new No Rhyme or Refill!! After Erica and Alyx take some time off to not fail their semesters during the pandemic, and just survive mental health-wise, they're back with the long-promised ~switch episode~ where they get out of their comfort zone a bit. Alyx talks local hard cider in Missoula, specifically the cider Ranch Hand, and shares how she learned about the Wassail celebration (coming up soon!)and Erica shares some important and powerful poems from one of her favorite poetry books this year, "Not Here" by Hieu Minh Nguyen. Thanks for tuning in, and cheers!

"People appreciate the balance of flavors, as opposed to the 'put some hair on your chest! It's the most bitter IPA." "Full disclosure: This is a book I had to read for class last week." Beer: Tears of my Enemies by Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama) Poetry: Erika Meitner's book Holy Moly Carry Me (2018, BOA Editions) Girl Crush: Ruth Bader Ginsburg We're 34 episodes in, and we're still surviving and balancing work and school and the podcast and the minimal fun you can have during a global pandemic. But sometimes, we'll just take a few shortcuts, such as reading poems from a book assigned for class or enjoying a small beer before a Zoom class gets going. It's called ~balance~. But even if we're working on crunched schedules, we're not short on fun things to talk about. This week, Erica enjoys her first beer from a physical Monday Night Brewing, as opposed to the grocery store, and compares it to an apple fritter with breakfast. Alyx reads select poems from Erika Meitner's book, "Holy Moly Carry Me," and we discuss Meitner's ability to balance normalcy and the mundane with beautiful imagery and subtle messages. It's a good one, folks. So put on your sweaters, hold a book close and crack open a beer. It's fall, baby!

"I feel like every time I see the word sherbet I'm SHOCKED to find there's only one R." Beer: Dewdropper Blackberry Sherbet Sour IPA by Tallulah Brewing (Jasper, AL) Poetry: Patricia Lockwood's book Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals (2014, Penguin Books) Girl Crush: "Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers" by Taisia Kitaiskaia(Author), Katy Horan (Illustrator) Episode 33 is a bright spot in the current wildfire and hurricane climate. Wishing everyone as much safety as possible this week. We talk about our first Tallulah Brewing beer as well as the bizarre and intriguing poetry of Patricia Lockwood, which includes a poem about a man marrying an owl exhibit. Yes, you read that right. Grab a beer and read a poem with us. Cheers, y'all.

"I've also been doing research on the beer, so I didn't automatically think human predator." "I thought you were saying chat books, not chapbooks." Beer: Apex Predator from Off Color Brewing (Chicago, Illinois) Poetry: "Therǝ is a Case That I Ɐm" by torrin a. greathouse Girl Crush: Bassey Ikpi, Author of "I'm Lying But I'm Telling the Truth." On this week's episode, Erica struggles to find the right words to describe Apex Predator, a coffee saison from Off Color Brewing, and Alyx reads from torrin a. greathouse, a transgender cripple-punk poet. Erica also realized she has misheard a term for a full 31 episodes of this podcast. Cheers!

"You have to acknowledge the negative things in the past... you can’t just ignore it or 'bless your heart' it." "Maybe that’s something that’s so infuriating about some people who write about the south they refuse to acknowledge the privilege and the power." Beer: Retitled Pils (Against the Grain Brewing, Louisville, KY) Poetry: from Amy Woolard's book "Neck of the Woods" (2020, Alice James Books) Crush: Sarah and Marta (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/magazine/title-ix-sexual-harassment-accusations.html) Episode 31 is all about pilsners and some Southern poetry! Erica and Alyx talk about a longtime favorite brewery, Against the Grain, as well as the nuance and acknowledgement of the past (and present!) needed to write excellent Southern poetry. They then chat about Amy Woolard's long-time-coming book about a childhood best friend and its connection to Wizard of Oz. Cheers!

"That's always wild to me when any sort of poetry book gets sold at Target." "If you can't underhand racism in your personal life how are you supposed to understand systemic racism." Beer: 5 Lizard Passionfruit Witbier from 5 Rabbit Cervecería (Chicago, Illinois) Poetry: Poems from "Citizen" by Claudia Rankine Girl Crush: Tie Simpson/ Hippie Heathen Erica and Alyx are back for Episode 30 and ready to discuss a beer that Erica ... honestly didn't really like the first time she tried it? But after giving it a second shot, some opinions have changed. Alyx also brings along sections from "Citizen," a book-length poem by American author Claudia Rankine. Even though this book was published in 2014, the portrait of racial relations and racism remains just as relevant today.

Beer: Athletic Brewing Co. Non-Alcoholic IPA Poetry: poems from "Build Yourself a Boat" (BreakBeat Poets)by Camonghne Felix (Haymarket Books, 2019) Erica and Alyx are back for Episode 29 after a break focusing on educating themselves on anti-racism, their roles in a white supremacist society, and how to become better allies for BIPOC folx and further support Black Lives Matter. This week they talk about their first non-alcoholic beer and read the powerful work of Camonghne Felix, a Black, Queer poet and spoken word artist.

"The sky is one of the few things we can't taste." "It's like, the ants don't know about the euphemisms." Beer: Le Ciel Dry Hopped Golden Lager (Westbrook Brewing, South Carolina) Poetry: Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay Girl Crush: Nadiya Hussain (Great British Baking Show and Nadiya's Time to Eat) This week, Erica breaks into the beer cellar for our first non-local brew in a while, and Alyx ventures outside with poems by Ross Gay. Please enjoy Erica's poor pronunciation of French words and Alyx's musing's about tasting the sky while we drink beer and enjoy poetry on Episode 28. Cheers!

"It tastes and smells just like Go Gurt" "I sound like I'm talking about Avatar the Airbenders" Beer: Fallen Down Gose from Ferus Artisan Ales (Trussville, AL) Poetry: "In Praise of Fragments" by Meena Alexander Girl crush: Yaa Gyasu, author of "Homegoing" In Episode 27, Alyx and Eric talk about the "trick in your mouth" that is lactose in beer, specifically in one of the Fallen Down Goses by Ferus Artisan Ales. Then they talk about translocational fragments in poetry by reading the posthumous book called "In Praise of Fragments" recently out by Nightboat Books, by Meena Alexander. Cheers!

“PBR was established here in 1844, and I got here in 1843, so …” “The spoons? Yeah, I was like, ‘Where is this going to go?’” Beer: Pabst Blue Ribbon (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Poems: Sun in Days by Meghan O’Rourke Girl Crushes: Judge Jill Karofsky (Wisconsin); Ashley Monroe (@brewedblackgirl on Insta); and Fiona Apple This week, we’ve got a long one but we promise it’s a good one. As we celebrate a whole year (!!!) of No Rhyme or Refill, we decide to switch things up. Alyx talks about her favorite trash beer (aka the best beer) — PBR — and Erica talks about Sun in Days by Meghan O’Rourke. Both Alyx and Erica own the book, but Erica 100 percent forgot that she was with Alyx when Alyx bought the book. What are you gonna do? The 26th episode stays shallow with a light beer, and goes deep in a discussion about autoimmune disease, hopelessness, and a body’s betrayal. Special thanks to our special guest, Sam Roberts, who loves PBR and reading poetry out loud when he thinks Alyx is in the room. Cheers!

Are you a local hipster? I think the way we confirm what we believe is by pushing back at what we were told and seeking our own understanding in this world. Beer: Genesis Blonde Sour Ale from Wicked Weed Brewing Poem: portions of "Nature Poem" by Tommy Pico (Tin House, 2017) In Episode 25, we talk from our isolation spots about some of Alyx's favorite recent poetry (ugh, so great, get ready everyone to smile) from Tommy Pico, about local breweries "selling out" and Erica gives us details about the beer Genesis from Wicked Weed Brewing. Cheers!

"This is just gonna be our understanding of this poem while dealing with coronavirus." Beer: Natural Habitat Imperial Sour with Strawberry and Key Line by TrimTab Brewing (Birmingham, AL) Poetry: Forest Primeval by Vievee Francis (Northwestern University Press,2015) Girl Crush: Anyone and everyone on the front lines handling the COVID19 pandemic Guys, things are weird right now. We're trapped in our houses, anxious about ... everything? ... and just trying to stay sane and connected while social distancing or self isolating or quarantining. This week, we drink another TrimTab beer and Erica talks about the importance of supporting local, and Alyx brings us a poem about the end times that somehow brings a silver lining to difficult situations, maybe? We'll let you be the judge. Thanks for putting up with a slightly uneven/ weird audio quality (we're working on making it better!). Stay home. Wash your hands. We love you

"[The book] becomes a very visceral reminder of the way grief changes." Beer: Hoppy Blonde (Ferus Artisan Ales, Birmingham) Poetry: Diana Khoi Nguyen from her book "Ghost Of"(Omnidawn, 2018) Girl Crush: Princess Nokia Wash your hands and stay safe! In this week's episode we talk about Erica's favorite Ferus Artisan Ales beer and discuss the "holes" that grief leaves in our lives through Diana Khoi Nguyen's book, "Ghost Of" written about the suicide of her brother.

"The downside is I can't read anything else on this bottle" Beer: Oude Kriek 3 Fonteinen (Belgium) Poetry: Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar Girl Crush: Rett Madison Another episode, another struggle to get our outro just right. But you're going to have to listen to the whole thing to hear that for yourself. This week, we enjoy as Erica struggles to properly pronounce Belgian words, interpret non-American date notation, and find a synonym for "earthy" as she enjoys the Oude Kriek Belgian Lambic from 3 Fonteinen. We also read poems that are both beautiful and unsettling from Kaveh Akbar's Calling a Wolf a Wolf - a book of poems that are about recovery from addiction without being too voyeristic. We hope you enjoy this week's episode and make sure to give girl crush Rett Madison a listen (or a thousand) on Spotify. Cheers!

"If you're drinking a low-calorie IPA, it's literally a session IPA. The brewery just slapped a calorie count unto it." "Yeah...that's the amount of love poem I'm willing to read for Valentine's Day." "For the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." (Lorde) Poetry: The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde by Audre Lorde (W.W. Norton and Company, 1997) Beer: Beach Body Session IPA - Yellowhammer Brewing Co. (Huntsville, AL) Girl Crush: Zadie Smith (a kick-ass bestselling fiction author) In this episode, we talk all about of low calorie beers (how very trendy of us!), what we think of them and specifically look at Beach Body Session IPA from Yellowhammer Brewing Co. Then we talk survival, social justice, the bubble of white feminism, and how the poet, lesbian, woman and warrior Audre Lorde fought for intersectionality, civil rights and snaps back with a southern senator criticized her poetry demanding a better world. RIP, Audre Lorde, thanks for your body of work. Cheers!

"It's kind of like the Disney vault of beers" "I've never seen a poem that dealt with tentacle porn" Beer: Hopslam from Bell's Brewery (Kalamazoo, Michigan) Poetry: Soft Science by Franny Choi Girl Crush: Lily Waite, creator of the Queer Brewing Project This week, we bring you a well-known and apparently much sought after beer, Hopslam, and discuss beer economics. Beer-conomics? Yeah, we'll go with the second one. We also discuss the thought-provoking and at times hard to read out loud poetry by Franny Choi, which blends technology, feminism and some NSFW topics as well. See if you can hear Erica's neighbor's dog in the background, or determine at which points our Skype connection froze! Cheers!

"I feel (as a woman) like in the late 2000s and early teens, trauma is what made you interesting." "Most cats just walk around without testicles every day." (Boyle) "It feels more like the crisis of not mattering." Beer: Cold Smoke Scotch Ale by KettleHouse Brewing Co (Missoula, MT) Poetry: unpublished blog posts from a mexican panda express employee by Meagan Boyle (Muumuu House, 2011) Girl Crush: Thank You Books (independent book store in Birmingham, AL) In our first episode of 2020, Erica and Alyx get back from the break and drink their very first beer from Missoula, MT, from one of the many popular breweries in the town, KettleHouse Brewing, as well as learn what the heck the term "cold smoke" actually means. They also spend some time talking about the alt lit movement of the early 2010s, what it means to be writing in "technology's grasp" and what makes a poem feel like a poem with Meagan Boyle's first poetry collection. At one point, Alyx reads Doritos instead of Oreos and the phrase "it comes with age" is said a ridiculous amount of times. Good to be back--and cheers!

Beer: Emergency Broadcast by Public Access Liquids Poetry: "Ode to the onion" and "Ode to laziness" by Pablo Neruda Girl Crush: Pamela Colman Smith This week, we focus on something really important, especially around the holidays — self care. And even though we both love craft beer, we also talk about "sober curiosity" and how to not drink or drink less, even if it feels like everyone else is drinking. We also read translations of two odes by Pablo Neruda and hone in on some of life's best, and simplest, aspects. Just as an FYI, we’re going to take an abbreviated break to enjoy some time off around the holidays and in between semesters. Episode 19 is set to release in January, and we’ll resume our bi-weekly release schedule from there.

Beer: Athens to Athens Grist to Grist (a collaboration with Jackie O’s Brewery and Creatures Comfort Brewing Co.) Poetry: Eileen Myles in her book "Snowflake / different streets" (Wave Books, 2012) Episode 17 features the fabulous collaboration beer called Athens to Athens Grist to Grist and work by the famed Eileen Myles. Get ready for some laughs in this one. Cheers! *Eileen Myles goes by they/them/theirs pronouns, and we respect and celebrate this decision! Our deepest apologies for using the wrong pronoun, we were alerted to the fact after we published the episode. We will henceforth refer to Eileen by that set of pronouns. Thank you for your patience!*

"You heard it here first - we've got umami!" Beer: Table of Contents from Monday Night Garage Poet: Joy Harjo Girl Crush: Lisa McGee, creator of Derry Girls Thanks for joining us for our first Skype-recorded episode of the podcast! Despite having 16 episodes under our belts, we've found that technology enjoys throwing a new curve ball each week. But hey, we're surviving it. This week, we discuss the concept of a table beer — which is more than just a beer you've set on the table — and listen to poems that celebrate Native American tradition and history. Erica's dog does her best to join in on the pod, so listen out to see if you can hear her self-grooming in the background. Cheers!

"I immediately think of that owl commercial" Beer: The Baron's Desire by Birmingham District Brewing Company (Birmingham, Alabama) Poetry: "Sometimes in a body," "Polly Ann has an ordinary day," and "Polly Ann fears her future" by Samiya Bashir in her book Field Theories Girl Crush: Elizabeth Keckly Have you ever heard of a sour stout? Neither had we! This week, Erica talks about The Baron's Desire, a beer with a long and complicated name that boils down to "sour stout" and tastes like a dream. Alyx shares poems from Samiya Bashir that help us reflect on old forms, old stories and new interpretations, and once again, we're inspired by the strength of women despite society's rules and limitations.

“We need either hope or complete distraction.” “It’s fall in a f*cking glass. It smells like a stick of Big Red gum.” Beer: Basic Betty by Prairie Artisan Ales Girl Crush: Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Fleabag!! Poetry: "Song of Men," "Points of Contact" and "A House Divided" by Kyle Dargin in his book Honest Engine: Poems (University of Georgia Press, 2015) This week, we fully embrace #stoutszn with an imperial pumpkin stout from Prairie Artisan Ales. And while the flavor is right, the name and label design are questionable at best. To all the basic Beckys with the good hair, welcome to the world of 11 percent stouts and problematic beer naming practices. We also discuss some of Kyle Dargan's poem's in his book Honest Engine, where he talks truth about power and masculinity. Excuse Alyx's post-sick nasal voice. Cheers!

“Being relatable is something that is important, and something that people who are trying to be oh-so-unique don’t always do.” “There’s so much sky here… like it’s everywhere. It’s going to eat me.” “If your kid is an asshole and touches me at a brewery and knocks over my beer… I’m just going to trip them.” Beer: Sierra Nevada’s collaboration with Bitburger 2019 Oktoberfest Poems: “Someplace like Montana” in by Ada Limon’s book called Bright Dead Things On Alyx and Erica’s first episode recorded in two different states, they keep it timely with Sierra Nevada’s annual oh-so-drinkable Oktoberfest collaboration with Bitburger. They also chat about what the word “basic” even means and they celebrate Alyx’s new home by reading Ada Limon’s fabulous poem called “Someplace like Montana.” Cheers!

“The beer is just a giant stew” “It’s like a boiled down essence of us, the horse.” Beer: Mango Shake IPA from Westbrook Brewing Co. (Charleston, South Carolina) Poetry: Poems: Portions of “Autobiography of Horse: A Poem” by Jenifer Sang Eun Park Girl Crush: Gina Rodriguez, American actress and director, our favorite star character from the fabulous TV show Jane the Virgin This week, try to count the number of times we say "mango" and figure out which word Alyx mispronounces. (Hint: It's “bruxism”). In our last podcast recorded while living in the same state, Erica breaks out her notebook o' beer info, and Alyx shares the work of Jenifer Sang Eun Park. Cheers!

“We were too poor to collect beanie babies. That shit was expensive.” “It’s like someone who talks really loud in the morning, it’s like … take it down. That’s how I feel about this beer.” Beer: Cahoots Flanders Red by Uinta Brewing (Salt Lake City, Utah) Poetry: "Partition," "Playroom" and "Microaggression Bingo" by Fatimah Asghar in her book If They Come For Us (published by One World, an imprint of Random House, 2018) Girl Crush: Kayleen Schaefer, the author of Text Me When You Get Home (the book Alyx has stolen and taken to Montana with her and needs to return) On this week’s episode, listen while Erica attempts to discuss a beer that’s 2.5 years old, despite not having any knowledge of how age affects the flavors of a flanders red. *shrug* We also cover some powerful poetry by Fatimah Asghar and get a brief history lesson on things that the American school system failed to educate us about. Cheers!

“If we weren't putting this money toward NASA and space travel, we would not be putting this toward kids with cancer. ” “Can you change things? Can you get things to stop fucking up the carpet?” Beer: Lord Proprieter’s Mild by Edmund’s Oast Brewing (Charleston, South Carolina) Poetry: Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith (Graywolf Press, 2011) “The Universe Is a House Party,” “My God, It’s Full of Stars” and Part 1 of “Don’t You Wonder, Sometimes?” Welcome to the first podcast not recorded drinking while sitting on Alyx’s floor! On Episode 10, our ~first ever~ episode with guests, Martha Ellen and Josh from This Was A Mistake Podcast trade some wise and hilarious insight on poetry about space and beer from Edmund’s Oast brewery. Plus, we talk about the sensational David Bowie, who this former poet laureate loves. A note: Alyx has reconsidered her position tea since recording, with a firm conclusion that it is tasty and tricky and takes a few tries to figure out.

“They’re pretty ~hopp-ular” “It's impossible to read all these poems without feeling like you're living but also feeling like you're dying” Beer: Atalanta Tart Plum Saison (Orpheus Brewing) Poetry: Excerpts from Brandon Shimoda in his book The Girl Without Arms (Black Ocean, 2011) Girl Crush: the two stunning and talented actresses Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer in the show Killing Eve On the ninth episode, we drink a fabulous and oh-so-tart summer beer called Atalanta Tart Plum Saison by Orpheus Brewing. We also read some poems from the The Girl Without Arms, which is named after a Grimms’ Fairy Tales Japanese story adaptation of a girl without arms. Then we spend some time learning about Brandon Shimoda’s heritage and one of his grandfathers, Midori Shimoda, who was forced into an internment camp for “suspicious” people with Japanese ancestry living in America in WWII (unjust bullshit). Thanks for listening, cheers!

“The Trim Tab cult is just gathering in the corners.” “I’m too broke to go to a butcher shop.” Beer: The Original 006 by Trim Tab Brewing (Birmingham, Alabama) Poetry: "H. Vernon," "I Have an Idea for a Film" and "Mermaids Explained" by Christopher Reid in his book Mermaids Explained: Poems (Harcourt, 2001) Girl Crush: “Eighth Grade” actress Elsie Fisher On the eighth episode of the pod, we enjoy a cult favorite - The Original 006 from Trim Tab here in Birmingham. Sure, it’s our second Trim Tab beer in a few weeks, but trust us, the in-depth conversation on hops drama is worth it. We also have a strange chat about an English poet who is part of the self-created Martian Movement. We talk about Christopher Reid's morbid and humorous work in his book called "Alyx grabbed this at a $5 book swap" aka "Mermaids Explained." Cheers! It’s easier to have people accept your madness if you’re a white dude. Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/taranurin/2018/01/26/hop-vendors-swallow-a-bitter-pill-as-they-confront-an-oversaturated-market-customers-who-cant-pay/ Harris’s blog: https://www.trimtabbrewing.com/post/join-the-beer-business-they-said-it-ll-be-fun-they-said-part-1

“Just kind of gnarly, but also cute and feminine.” “I haven't looked at [a tadpole] since like eighth grade middle school biology.” "Big pussy energy" Beer: Sufferin’ Til Suffrage by Second Self Brewing and New Realm Brewing Company (Atlanta, Georgia) Poems: "Queer Facts about Vegetables" and "The No Shame Theatre" and "Love and the Bodega" in The Spectral Wilderness by Oliver Bendorf (The Kent State University Press in 2015) Girl Crush: Russian feminist punk rock protest artists Pussy Riot Oh yes, of course we have another Double IPA for you. Check out Sufferin’ Til Suffrage, a badass, female-led beer collaboration from two great Atlanta breweries. We also tackle the age-old debate of “Tomato - fruit or vegetable?” with a new perspective by poet Oliver Bendorf’s in his book The Spectral Wilderness, where he explains how at one point, the Supreme Court weighed in on the question. On this episode we chat about Bendorf's portrayal of his transition to a man, loving things even when you're supposed to think they're ~sort of lame~ and Alyx asks a whole lot of basic questions about beer phrases, which Erica kindly explains. Shout out to the rage-filled chicks in Pussy Riot who just last week came to Birmingham, AL. Cheers!

“Erica is just giving me two more dishes to clean.” “The golden age of not being able to hold a conversation because you didn’t spend 10 hours of your day on the internet.” Beer: All the Fruits by TrimTab Brewing Company (Birmingham, AL) Poem: "Golden Age" by NiIna Pollari and “Familiar” by merritt k in Total Mood Killer (TigerBee Press, 2017) Girl Crush: Writer Anne Helen Peteren for her Buzzfeed article “How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation” This week, see if you can count the number of times Leslie meows and tries to guest-star in our podcast! This week, we drink All the Fruits Berliner Weisse, a summer release by one of our favorite local breweries TrimTab. We also read about living in the so-called “golden age” in the poetry book Total Mood Killer by Niina Pollari and merritt k.

"This is what I want my man to smell like." "Gene Wilder was my sexual awakening as a kid." "Rape and incest should be something you're outraged at. I'm so glad you're like, a normally decent human being. The bar is set so low." Beer: The Closer by Ten Ninety Brewing Company (Glenview, Illinois) Poem: "Terminus" in Viper Rum by Mary Karr (Penguin Poets, 2001) Girl Crush: Yellowhammer Fund, Planned Parenthood, ACLU This week we try a black saison, which Erica picked up from her recent Chicago trip, as well as whether or not the foreboding figure on its can is Darth Vader (hint: it’s not). We also talk about Erica's favorite breweries in the Chicago area, including the Willy Wonka-like fun house /slash/ Alyx's favorite brewery, Lagunitas. We pair our dark beer with the equally dark poetry of memoir kween Mary Karr, where we chat about Karr's no bullshit essay "Against Decoration." Karr is a self-dubbed "cafeteria Catholic" and former alcoholic. We also take a long and serious look at Alabama's latest abortion bill, what it means and how the right to choose is threatened by this anti-abortion legislation and those that support it. Donate and learn more at: yellowhammerfund.org/, plannedparenthood.org/get-involved/other-ways-give and action.aclu.org/give/donate-to-aclu-multistep.

“The Instagram generation of babies.” “Actively not trying to milk a babe out here, but she made it really poetic sounding.” Beer: Don't Call it Hotlanta from Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta, Georgia) Poems: "Migration Instinct" and "At the Museum of Trades and Traditions" in All Its Charms by Keetja Kuipers(BOA Editions, 2019) Girl Crush: Julia Carpenter from Wall Street Journal/ Erica's collegiate journalism career This week, we talk all things hard and dry, how Erica might be a narc and the correct pronunciation of "tortoise." Disclaimer from Erica: Please don’t hate me for saying a lot of IPAs taste similar. It’s more like how I feel about TV in the Golden Age of Television - there are tons of great shows, I watch those shows, I enjoy those shows and I tell other people to watch and enjoy them. But at the same time, you go through so much TV that one week later, you might not be able to remember all the details of a show you really loved. Disclaimer from Alyx: IPAs are good when you're poor and one gets you drunk.

"It's like pineapple, heavy on the pine." "You don't dump sewage and think it's not going to effect you." Beer: Pineapple Daze by Ghost Train Brewing (Birmingham, Alabama) Poem: "Something Bright Then Holes" "These days," part of the section Canal Diaries in her book called Something Bright Then Holes (Soft Skull Press, 2007) Girl Crush: the poetry and rock and roll queen Patti Smith This week, we drink a limited release beer **that you can no longer buy** from local fave Ghost Train Brewing Company and discuss a narrative poetry book and its namesake, “Something Bright Then Holes.” We also talk about the slightly creepy nature of heartbreak and what “putting a shape to pain” looks like for Maggie Nelson. If it’s not 6 in the mf morning, participate in this week’s drinking game — every time you hear Erica say “pine,” “piney” or “pineapple,” you drink.

"You regret sharing it with anyone instead of just drinking it yourself." "My poor mother, she would shave her legs every day." Beer: Flavor Patterns by Bond Brothers Brewing Company (Cary, North Carolina) Poems: "Summer Barbecue With Two Men" and "Private Property" by Analicia Sotelo (Virgin: Poems, published by Milkweed Editions in 2018) Girl Crush: Zuri Coleman from Second Self Brewing Hear about how middle aged men lust after you, our chat about pit pics and that grandma-level good shit (aka the beer we are drinking). Cheers!

"Those are some slow growing fruits." "Lest you be a witch, figure out what a clit is." Beer: Pineapple and Lemon Tritonia Gose from Creature Comforts (Athens, Georgia) Poems: "HISTORIES: A Woman Was Constructed in 20 oz. Antiquity, Certainly She Existed" by Eleni Sikelianos (Earliest Worlds, published by Coffee House Press in 2001, taken from her first book Of Sun, Of History, Of Seeing) Girl Crush: Natasha Lyonne (always and forever but particularly in Russian Doll) Also: We mentioned show notes in this episode, but the poem itself isn't online for us to link to, and we aren't ready to navigate the legal grey area that is posting the full text of a poem. If future poems are online for everyone to read, we'll share those links. Bonus points for catching words we pronounced wrong. Cheers!

Welcome to No Rhyme or Refill, a Poetry and Pints Podcast. Meet the hosts, Alyx and Erica, and learn a little more about what you can expect from our bi-weekly episodes.