Poem Talk

Follow Poem Talk
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Kelly Writers House impresario Al Filreis leads a lively roundtable discussion of a single poem with a series of rotating guests including Tracie Morris, Rachel Blau DuPlessis, erica kaufman, Charles Bernstein, Sawako Nakayasu, Simone White, and others.

Poetry Foundation


    • Jun 28, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 44m AVG DURATION
    • 141 EPISODES


    More podcasts from Poetry Foundation

    VS
    VS

    infrequent

    Poetry Off the Shelf
    Poetry Off the Shelf

    every other week

    Audio Poem of the Day
    Audio Poem of the Day

    daily

    The Poetry Magazine Podcast
    The Poetry Magazine Podcast

    every other week

    PoetryNow
    PoetryNow

    infrequent

    Avant-Garde All the Time
    Avant-Garde All the Time

    infrequent

    Essential American Poets
    Essential American Poets

    infrequent

    Poetry Lectures
    Poetry Lectures

    infrequent

    Chicago Poetry Tour Podcast
    Chicago Poetry Tour Podcast

    infrequent

    Search for episodes from Poem Talk with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Poem Talk

    Don't Refuse to Breathe: A discussion of Frank O'Hara: “Song (Is it dirty)” & “Poem (Lana Turner Has Collapsed)”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2023 52:23


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Robert von Hallberg, Charles Altieri, and Marjorie Perloff.

    song breathe poem refuse collapsed franko lana turner hallberg marjorie perloff al filreis
    The Whole World Smiles: A discussion of John Giorno's “Everyone Is a Complete Disappointment”

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2023 51:53


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Brooke O'Harra, Michelle Taransky, and Chris Funkhouser.

    disappointment smiles whole world john giorno al filreis michelle taransky
    Present Plans Succeed: A discussion of Dodie Bellamy's “Vomit Journal”

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2023 55:04


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Chantine Akiyama Poh, Henry Steinberg, and Murat Nemet-Nejat.

    journal succeed vomit al filreis
    Woot of the Century: A discussion of “Welter” and “Static” by Douglas Kearney

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2023 51:34


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Divya Victor, Whitney Trettien, and Dagmawi Woubshet.

    static woot welter douglas kearney
    Rhetorical Happenings: A discussion of Hoa Nguyen, “Long Light.”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2023 46:05


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Bethany Swann, Jonathan Dick, and Kate Colby.

    nguyen happenings rhetorical al filreis
    Nothing Made of Ink: A discussion of seven poems by Lisa Fishman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2023 55:09


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Lisa Fishman, Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué, and Laynie Browne.

    poems fishman al filreis
    Untranslatable: A discussion of Armand Schwerner's “Tablet 25” & “‘daddy, can you staple these two stars together to make an airplane?'”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 60:56


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Jerome Rothenberg, Pierre Joris, and Charles Bernstein.

    stars daddy airplanes tablet armand staple charles bernstein untranslatable al filreis
    test episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 37:22


    test audio description

    test episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 37:22


    test audio description

    test poem talk

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2022 41:08


    Related to acrostic, a poem in which the first letter of each line or stanza follows sequentially through the alphabet. See Jessica Greenbaum, “A Poem for S.” Tom Disch's “Abecedary” adapts the principles of an abecedarian poem, while Matthea Harvey's “The Future of Terror/The Terror of Future” sequence also uses the alphabet as an organizing principle. Poets who have used the abecedarian across whole collections include Mary Jo Bang, in The Bride of E, and Harryette Mullen, in Sleeping with the Dictionary.

    future poem dictionary mary jo bang matthea harvey
    Downgraded to Scribble: A discussion of four poems from Dead Winter by Matvei Yankelevich

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2022 53:40


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Ahmad Almallah, Huda Fakhreddine, and Kevin Platt.

    poems scribble al filreis yankelevich
    Paw Mouthings: A discussion of Maggie O'Sullivan's “Hill Figures” and “To Our Own Day”

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 56:16


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Julia Bloch, Charles Bernstein, and Eric Falci.

    figures maggie o charles bernstein al filreis
    Touch, Love, Then Explain: A discussion of “Some Trees” by John Ashbery

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2022 58:14


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Carlos Decena, Dagmawi Woubshet, and Abdulhamit Arvas.

    touch trees explain john ashbery al filreis
    Composition of Life, as Life: A discussion of Joan Retallack's The Poethical Wager (a several-page excerpt)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2022 63:30


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Joan Retallack, erica kaufman, and Laynie Browne.

    excerpt composition wager retallack al filreis
    Girls in the Supply Chain: A discussion of Sawako Nakayasu's book Some Girls Walk into the Country Where They Are From

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2022 62:29


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Caroline Bergvall, Henry Steinberg, and Bethany Swann.

    walk girls supply chains al filreis
    When a Name Falls from a Face: A discussion of a selection from Divya Victor's book Curb

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2022 62:44


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Timothy Yu, Josephine Nock-Hee Park, and Piyali Bhattacharya.

    falls selection curb divya al filreis
    Trance of Language: A discussion of “Sleeping with the Dictionary” & “Dim Lady” from Sleeping with the Dictionary by Harryette Mullen

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2022 51:50


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Maxe Crandall, Larissa Lai, and Julia Bloch.

    language sleeping trance dictionary mullen al filreis larissa lai
    Teach Us Love: A discussion of “Language” and “The Anatomy of Monotony” by Eugene Ostachevsky

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2022 58:08


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Matvei Yankelevich, Ahmad Almallah, and Kevin Platt.

    language anatomy teach us monotony us love al filreis
    Better To Lose & Win: A discussion of Diane di Prima's Revolutionary Letters

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2022 55:32


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Lee Ann Brown, Kristen Gallagher, Laynie Browne.

    letters revolutionary prima al filreis kristen gallagher lee ann brown
    Far in Toward the Far End: A discussion of George Quasha's “preverbs.”

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2022 53:31


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Charles Bernstein, Laynie Browne, and Anthony Elms.

    charles bernstein al filreis anthony elms
    Hot and Cold: A discussion of Jayne Cortez's “She Got He Got”

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2022 55:23


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Yolanda Wisher, Amber Rose Johnson, and Daniel Bergmann.

    cold cortez yolanda wisher al filreis
    Must It Ring True: A discussion of Myung Mi Kim's “And Sing We”

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2021 55:22


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Jack Giesking, Jonathan Dick, and erica kaufman.

    ring sing myung mi kim al filreis
    Coup Created by Our Thoughts: A discussion of “Colliding and Not Colliding at the Same Time” by Cecilia Vicuña

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2021 52:43


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Jena Osman, Edwin Torres, and Huda Fakhreddine.

    created coup same time colliding cecilia vicu al filreis
    Punch Fascists: A discussion of “Yes I Do Want to Punch” by Stephen Collis

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2021 42:01


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Pattie McCarthy, Kate Colby, and Lily Applebaum.

    punch fascists collis al filreis lily applebaum pattie mccarthy
    As Words Label Space: A discussion of Leslie Scalapino's “‘Can't' is 'Night'”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2021 48:01


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Anna Vitale, Sophia DuRose, and Knar Gavin.

    space al filreis
    Perilous Bodies: A discussion of “Steveston, B.C.” by Daphne Marlatt

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2021 61:53


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Karis Shearer, Jane Robbins Mize, and Davy Knittle.

    bodies perilous steveston al filreis
    In My Rotting Place: A discussion of “Morning, Morning” & “No Deposit, No Return" by Tuli Kupferberg

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2021 58:01


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Lee Ann Brown, Pierre Joris, Charles Bernstein, and Rachel Levitsky.

    deposit no return rotting charles bernstein al filreis tuli kupferberg lee ann brown
    This Unwitting Monument: A discussion of two poems from Sarah Dowling's book Entering Sappho

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2021 53:34


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Larissa Lai, Maxe Crandall, and Julia Bloch.

    entering poems monument sappho al filreis larissa lai
    Biologically Speaking: A discussion of “Love Is Not All” and “I Shall Forget You Presently” by Edna St. Vincent Millay

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2021 50:56


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Jane Malcolm, Sophia DuRose, and Lisa New.

    speaking biologically edna st vincent millay al filreis
    Adore Adore: A discussion of “Dada Lama” and “A Small Song That Is His” by bpNichol

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2021 52:21


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Derek Beaulieu, Tracie Morris, and Douglas Kearney.

    song lama dada douglas kearney tracie morris al filreis
    With a Little String & a Sharp Stone: A discussion of “Suicide” by Bob Kaufman

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2021 53:15


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Christopher Stackhouse, Maria Damon, and Devorah Major.

    suicide stone sharp string bob kaufman al filreis
    A Way to Haunt Me: A discussion of “It All over My Face?” by Kevin Killian

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2021 57:46


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué, Trisha Low, and Eric Sneathen.

    haunt al filreis
    A Way to Haunt Me: A discussion of “It All over My Face?” by Kevin Killian

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2021 57:46


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Gabriel Ojeda-Sagué, Trisha Low, and Eric Sneathen.

    haunt al filreis
    Damned Fruitflies: A discussion of “With Shelter Gone” by Steve Dalachinsky

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2021 56:09


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Jake Marmer, Bonny Finberg, Julien Poirier.

    shelter damned fruit flies al filreis steve dalachinsky
    Passion Shields Its Servants: A discussion of “Souvenir of the Manassah Ball” by Lorenzo Thomas

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2020 47:27


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Tonya Foster, Erica Hunt, and Bob Perelman.

    passion servants shields souvenir manassah al filreis
    Promise To Go On: A discussion of “The Similitude of This Great Flower” by Elizabeth Willis

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2020 41:56


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Simone White, Angela Carr, and Kate Colby.

    flower willis similitude simone white al filreis
    Rousing Earth to Excel: A discussion of “Arriving” by Daphne Marlatt

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2020 55:38


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Fred Wah, Meredith Quartermain, and Daphne Marlatt.

    earth excel arriving rousing al filreis
    Word for Word: A discussion of “The Poem That Took the Place of a Mountain” by Wallace Stevens.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2020 50:26


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Tyrone Williams, Mónica de la Torre, Kate Colby, and Aldon Nielsen.

    mountain poem torre wallace stevens tyrone williams al filreis
    That’s Right: A discussion of Eileen Myles’s “Writing” and “Mount St. Helens”

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2020 52:34


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Stephen Metcalf, June Thomas, and Jess Shollenberger.

    writing mount st helens eileen myles june thomas stephen metcalf al filreis
    Ominous Pre-tingling: A discussion of “MJ Fan Letter” and “RSVP” by Terrance Hayes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2020 52:51


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Simone White, Dixon Li, and Jo Park.

    letter rsvp ominous tingling terrance hayes al filreis
    Find Me the Rage: A discussion of “Negus” by Kamau Brathwaite

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2020 47:56


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Jacob Edmond, Amber Rose Johnson, and Huda Fakhreddine.

    rage kamau negus brathwaite al filreis
    A Word For Me: A discussion of “Should You Find Me” by Erica Hunt

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2020 49:45


    Hosted by Al Filreis and featuring Tyrone Williams, William J. Harris, Aldon Nielsen, and Erica Hunt. Need a transcript of this episode? Request a transcript here.

    hunt request tyrone williams al filreis william j harris

    Claim Poem Talk

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel