PoemTalk at the Writers House

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PoemTalk at the Writers House, hosted by Al Filreis and based at Kelly Writers House in Philadelphia. PoemTalk is a collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing, Jacket2.org, and the Poetry Foundation.

PoemTalk


    • May 6, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 39m AVG DURATION
    • 158 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from PoemTalk at the Writers House

    Episode 208 - Vainglories of this Capitol

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 59:02


    The group convenes for a special live session on the late Tyrone Williams's "Charon on the Potomac."

    Episode 207 - Words were gods

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 51:44


    The group gathers in the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss Rae Armantrout's "Further Thought" and "Here I Go."

    gods rae armantrout wexler studio
    Episode 206 - The sonnet is wrong

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 56:16


    The group gathers in the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss Lewis Warsh's "Polar Night."

    sonnets wexler studio
    Episode 205 - Radioaction Riding Regal

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 60:35


    The group gathers in the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss June Jordan's "Financial Planning" and "Song of the Law Abiding Citizen."

    Episode 203 - Raw from the bellicose tumble

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2024 59:15


    The group gathers in the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss two versions of Callie Gardener's "Culture Warrior."

    tumble wexler studio
    Episode 202 - Every flower a reminder

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 62:44


    The group gathers in the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss a six-page section from Harryette Mullen's Open Leaves, called "Chasing Dirt."

    flower wexler studio
    Episode 201 - Your voice in my mouth

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 60:44


    The group gathers in the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss two poems from Trish Salah's Lyric Sexology Volume 1.

    voice mouth wexler studio
    Episode 200 - Our language is loaded

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 59:06


    The group gathers in the Writers House's Arts Cafe for a special live taping to discuss two poems by Evie Shockley.

    Episode 199 - Not in the buy

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2024 58:50


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss two poems by Edward Denby: "Subway" and "Ciampino envoi."

    wexler studio
    Episode 198 - Beauty isn't enough

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 58:48


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss three poems from Larry Price's 1/0.

    beauty larry price wexler studio
    Episode 197 - Walking the walk

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2024 51:19


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss four of Marjorie Welish's "Textiles."

    walking textiles wexler studio
    Episode 196 - A tide of voices

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 54:10


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss Hart Crane's "The Harbor Dawn," as performed by Tennessee Williams.

    PoemTalk 195 - Also I don't suffer

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2024 54:55


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss "The Austrian Maiden" and "Joe Brainard's Painting Bingo" by Richard Padgett.

    suffer joe brainard wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 194 - Hack my name

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2024 48:21


    The PoemTalk team travels to Scotland for a discussion at the Fruitmarket Arts Center in Edinburgh on two poems by Veronica Forrest-Thomson.

    PoemTalk 193 - The colors of death

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2024 53:31


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss Ariana Raines's "To the Reader," from A Sand Book (Tin House, 2019).

    death reader colors wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 192 - Of shredded love

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2024 65:44


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss two poems by Owen Dodson: "For Billie Holiday" and "Sorrow Is The Only Faithful One."

    shredded wexler studio poemtalk
    Episode 204 - To empty rooms

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2024 68:16


    The group gathers in the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss Horace Gregory's "Chorus for Survival" nos. 5 and 11.

    PoemTalk 191 - Fracas in the hinterlands

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2023 58:58


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss two Kenward Elmslie pieces, "Core Bonus" and "One Night Stand."

    PoemTalk 190 - Watches don't shoot

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2023 59:51


    The group gathers for a live session in the Kelly Writers House's Arts Cafe to discuss the eponymous piece from Aldon Nielson's book Tray (Make Now Press, 2017).

    shoot watches kelly writers house poemtalk
    PoemTalk 189 - Humming in the vacancy

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2023 63:51


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss Gregory Corso's 1969 performance of "Vision of Rotterdam."

    vision rotterdam vacancy humming wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 188 - To the goon ictus

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 60:45


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss Ted Pearson's 1987 book-length poem, Catenary Odes.

    goon ictus wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 187 - Bray brassily

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2023 48:35


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss two "Love Poems" by Mina Loy, from a recording and interview with Paul Blackburn and Robert Von Dias in 1965.

    PoemTalk 186 - The dots move out

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2023 56:43


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss a version of Tina Darragh's "Wire Boxes" performed at the Line Reading Series in New York in February of 2001.

    new york dots wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 185 - Don't refuse to breathe

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2023 52:19


    The team hits the road and lands in Los Angeles at the home of Marjorie Perloff, where the group gathers to discuss two well-known poems by Frank O'Hara: "Poem" or "Lana Turner Has Collapsed!" and "Song (Is it Dirty)."

    los angeles breathe refuse marjorie perloff poemtalk
    PoemTalk 184 - The whole world smiles

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2023 51:49


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss John Giorno's 1977 poem, "Everyone is a complete disappointment."

    smiles whole world john giorno wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 183 - Present plans succeed

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2023 55:00


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss an excerpt from Dodie Bellamy's Vomit Journal.

    succeed wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 182 - Woot of the century

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2023 51:30


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss two poems from Douglas Kearney's SHO (Wave Books, 2021): "Welter" and "Static."

    PoemTalk 181 - Rhetorical happenings

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2023 46:01


    The group gathers at the Writers House to discuss Hoa Nguyen's "Long Light," collected in Red Juice: Poems, 1998-2008 (Wave Books, 2014).

    PoemTalk 180 - Nothing made of ink

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2023 55:05


    The group travels to the Poetry Foundation in Chicago to discuss seven short poems from Lisa Fishman's Mad World, Mad Kings, Mad Composition (Wave Books, 2020).

    PoemTalk 179 - Untranslatable

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2022 60:51


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss two poems by Armand Schwarner: "Tablet XXV" and "'daddy, can you staple these two stars together to make an airplane?'"

    untranslatable wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 178 - Downgraded to scribble

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2022 53:36


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss Matvei Yankelevich's book of poems (or book-length poem), Dead Winter (Fonograph, 2022).

    scribble wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 177 - Paw mouthings

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2022 56:11


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio to discuss two poems by Maggie O'Sullivan, "To our Own Day" and "Hill Figures," from In the House of the Shaman (Reality Street, 1993).

    house wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 176 - Touch, love, then explain

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2022 58:10


    The group gathers at the Writers House's Wexler Studio for a fresh take on John Ashbery's iconic "Some Trees."

    touch explain john ashbery wexler studio poemtalk
    PoemTalk 175 - Composition of life, as life

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2022 63:24


    The group travels to Bard College in the Hudson Valley to discuss the two opening paragraph's from Joan Retallack's essay "The Poethical Wager."

    PoemTalk 174 - Girls in the supply chain

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2022 62:24


    The group gathers at the Kelly Writers House to discuss four poems from Sawako Nakayasu's Some Girls Walk into the Country They Are From (Wave Books, 2020).

    girls supply chains kelly writers house poemtalk
    Episode 173 - When a name falls from a face (Divya Victor, 'Curb')

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2022 62:39


    In this episode, the group gathers to discuss a selection of poems from Divya Victor's book Curb (Nightboat Books, 2021): three poems from the titular "Curb" series in the middle of the book ("Curb" 3, 4, and 5) and another poem, "Frequency (Alka's Testimony)."

    Episode 172 - Trance of language (Harryette Mullen, 'Sleeping with the Dictionary' and 'Dim Lady')

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2022 51:45


    In this episode, we talk about two prose poems in Harryette Mullen's collection Sleeping with the Dictionary, published by California in 2002. The poems are “Dim Lady” and the title poem, “Sleeping with the Dictionary.”

    Episode 171 - Teach us love (Eugene Ostashevsky, 'Language' and 'The Anatomy of Monotony')

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022 58:03


    In this episode, our discussion takes us to the great Ostashevskyan topics — knowledge otherwise somehow alienated; language that embodies or transliterates a kind of violence; the (sound) differences between knowing and saying no (and similarities); his sincere (and doubtless Russian Absurdist-influenced) plea to “teach us love / teach us love / teach us love / teach us love” even though “We are wholly unfamiliar with it.” Because the episode was recorded before the February 24, 2022, Russian military invasion into Ukraine, listeners will have to reckon for themselves the many places in our conversation when we would no doubt have commented on the war (continuing at the time of the podcast's release) and on the role of the avant-garde Russian American poet in relation to Russian cultures historical and contemporary.

    Episode 170 - Better to lose & win (Diane di Prima's 'Revolutionary Letters')

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2022 55:27


    In this episode, the group discusses three poems from Diane di Prima's 'Revolutionary Letters' project: #16 (“We are eating up the planet”), #19 (“If what you want is jobs”), and #27 (“How much can we afford to lose before we win”). The project's goals and modes of address shifted over time. Any single letter-poem, read separately from the others, might seem definitive — tonally evincing ideological as well as poetic choices having been made with apparent finality. Our decision to read and listen to three poems, forming a small sampler of the Letters, helped us understand and, through this hour-long chat, to convey the project's quality as overall a series of variations; each thus is an instance of ways of thinking about poems' social efficacy.

    Episode 169 - Far in toward the far end (Two poems from George Quasha's “preverbs”)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2022 53:25


    Al Filreis convenes Charles Bernstein, Anthony Elms, and Laynie Browne to talk about two poems by George Quasha. The book, published by Spuyten Duyvil in 2020, titled Not Even Rabbits Go Down This Hole, consists of eight gatherings of preverbs; our two poems, coming from the final section — which bears the name of the book — are “self fast” (numbered 12) and “that music razors through” (numbered 13). The recordings we use in this episode can be found on PennSound's extensive Quasha author page. These preverbs were recorded by Chris Funkhouser on December 27, 2017.

    poems charles bernstein spuyten duyvil pennsound far end al filreis anthony elms
    Episode 168 - Hot and cold (Jayne Cortez, 'She Got He Got')

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2022 55:18


    Today we are releasing episode #168 of PoemTalk, in which Amber Rose Johnson, Daniel Bergmann, and Yolanda Wisher meet up at the Kelly Writers House to talk with Al Filreis about Jayne Cortez's "She Got He Got". This poem/performance piece is comprised of a “She” half and an “He” half, she giving variations of hot, while he instantiates variations of cold.

    cold cortez hot and cold kelly writers house yolanda wisher al filreis poemtalk
    Episode 167 - Must it ring true (Myung Mi Kim, 'And Sing We')

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2021 55:17


    Today we are releasing episode #167 of PoemTalk, in which Jack Giesking, Jonathan Dick, and erica kaufman meet up at the Kelly Writers House to talk with Al Filreis about Myung Mi Kim's "And Sing We" from Under Flag.

    ring sing kelly writers house myung mi kim al filreis poemtalk
    Episode 166 - Coup created by our thoughts

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2021 52:38


    Today's episode dives into Cecilia Vicuña's 'Colliding and not colliding at the same time'. The performance begins as the audience, having been encouraged to ask questions about an art video that had just been screened, went momentarily silent. No questions were being asked, so Vicuña began improvisationally to fill the room with words and sounds, exploring a convergence or collision of topics: the then-recent election of Donald Trump, the “millionaires' coup” in Brazil, the “mystery of what is happening at this moment in the earth,” the collective thought of the people in the room, and the room itself. Edwin Torres, Huda Fakhreddine, and Jena Osman joined Al Filreis in the Arts Café at the Kelly Writers House to record this episode.

    Episode 165 - Punch fascists

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2021 41:56


    Today, we talk about a poem by Stephen Collis that appeared in his book, A History of the Theories of Rain, published by Talonbooks in Vancouver in 2021. The poem is titled “Yes I Do Want to Punch” — and perhaps should be called “Yes I Do Want to Punch / fascists in the face,” proceeding to its key first line. The eco-poetic turn — an urgent one, although it can also be read as casual, even patient — from the power of a counter-violent radical reaction to a sweet comic catalogue of warblers occurs right at the beginning of the poem. One has no time to get one's readerly bearings.

    Episode 164 - As words label space

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2021 47:56


    This episode discusses a three-page section of Leslie Scalapino's “‘Can't' is ‘Night'” — the passage having been chosen by the poet for It's Go in Horizontal: Selected Poems, 1974-2006. Close listening and close reading: surely some manner of these, both, are required by every Leslie Scalapino work. The PoemTalk group sought to respect this in the very way in which they moved through the poem's nonsequential parts and themes and offering of language problems. The poem is utterly political and supremely theoretical at once. No orderly proceeding through the poem beginning to end, nor any confident sense of the poem's tone (about its borrowing of words and phrases), would disclose those remarkable qualiies. So, called upon by the poem's “dis-placing” of its own parts, the group ventures toward its front lines, and then back again behind them. What “can't” this poet do?

    space night poemtalk
    Episode 163 - Perilous bodies

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2021 61:47


    This episode features a poem by Daphne Marlatt called “Steveston, B.C.” We were joined by Davy Knittle, Jane Robbins Mize, and Karis Shearer. The poem is in a sense — although not quite exactly — the title poem in a much-admired book published in 1974.

    Episode 162 - In my rotting place

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2021 58:00


    This episode presents a remarkable — freewheeling, energetic, yet comprehensive — discussion of a remarkable artist, Tuli Kupferberg. We considered two works by Tuli: “Morning, Morning,” among the most famous songs performed by The Fugs; and one of Tuli's spoken-word pieces or “pop poems,” titled “No Deposit, No Return.”

    Episode 161 - This unwitting monument

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2021 53:29


    The group convenes over Zoom to discuss Sarah Dowling's Entering Sappho (Coach House, 2020).

    Episode 160 - Biologically speaking

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2021 50:52


    The group convenes over Zoom to discuss two well-known sonnets of Edna St. Vincent Millay, "I Shall Forget You Presently" and "Love Is Not All." (Coach House, 2020).

    Episode 110 - To rearrange the world

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2017 44:31


    Stephen Ratcliffe, Joanne Kyger and Julia Bloch join Al Filreis in Bolinas, California to discuss Philip Whalen's "Life at Bolinas. The Last of California".

    california rearrange bolinas joanne kyger al filreis
    Episode 109 - I mean only means

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2017 36:56


    Siobhan Phillips, Emily Harnett, and Joseph Massey join Al Filreis to discuss Kate Colby's "I Mean"

    al filreis

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