The Poetry Space_

As we cross over to our first triple digit episode, what better topic than spirituality? Special guest Deacon Chris Anderson helps us explore the spirituality of poetry. Is poetry a form of prayer or even a religion in it of itself? Chris shares some of his own poetry, and profound insights. At the table:Katie DozierTimothy GreenChris AndersonDick WestheimerJoe BarcaNate Jacob Brian O'Sullivan

In the second episode of this mini-series, Katie and Tim jump into contemporary political poetry. With a deep dive into Rattle's Poets Respond series, they examine what makes political poetry successful or unsuccessful in our current poetic climate, and Tim makes such a good point that Katie alters her definition of how she defines poetry.At the table:Katie DozierTim Green

In this episode, Katie and Tim talk about the number one thing you're not supposed to talk about: politics—thankfully this time in the form of political poetry. What makes some political poems memorable and important? We explore the question by looking at older political poetry and what has staying power looking back.At the table:Katie DozierTim Green

This week, we dive into the delightful world of limericks with special guest Janet McConnaughey. Join us as we explore the history, structure, and enduring charm of this whimsical poetic form. From classic examples to contemporary twists, we read and discuss so many limericks. Whether you're a seasoned poet or new to the craft, this episode offers insights and inspiration to appreciate and perhaps even pen your own limerick.At the table:Katie DozierTimothy GreenJanet McConnaugheyDick WestheimerJoe Barca

What makes for a fair fight between centuries? In this episode, English titans Emily Dickinson and Margaret Atwood duke it out, poem by poem, as we arrive at a better understanding of each poet through their juxtaposition.At the table:Katie DozierTimothy Green

The Squad leaps back into the keys to writing an interesting poem with Nate Jacob reading a poem by Robert Hayden. Next up to the plate, Brian shares his list. Tim brings up the question of subjectivity, and Katie shares her own top ten keys. We also read poems by A.E. Stallings and Dorianne Laux.At the Table:Katie DozierTimothy GreenBrian O'SullivanDick WestheimerNate Jacob

How to write an interesting poem is a topic at the very heart of this show, and the Squad wastes no time tackling it. In part one, Tim, Dick, and Nate share their homework from Katie–a top ten list pf the keys to writing an interesting poem. We read poems by Li-Young Lee, George Bilgere, Sharon Olds, and Tiana Clark.At the Table:Katie DozierTimothy GreenDick WestheimerBrian O'SullivanNate Jacob

In this episode, we seek to learn more about two poets by having the two duel! This time, we look at two poets read in translation. Allen Ginsberg once asked in “A Supermarket in California,” “and you. Garcia Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons?” and this episode seeks to find out by looking at Federico García Lorca. Tomas Gösta Tranströmer's The Blue House goes toe-to-toe with Lorca. Add in a totally unrelated chocolate tasting and you have an episode to satisfy the poetry sweet tooth!At the table:Katie DozierTimothy Green

It seems like such a simple question, but how to read a poem, like poetic interpretation itself, can be answered in many different ways. But what's the best way to go about reading a poem? Katie turns to art criticism for a process that guides the episode to a deep reading of poems by: Billy Collins, Wallace Stevens, Robert Frost, and John Ashbury.At the table:Katie DozierTimothy GreenJoe BarcaBrian O'SullivanDick WestheimerNate Jacob

It seems like such a simple question, but how to read a poem, like poetic interpretation itself, can be answered in many different ways. But what's the best way to go about reading a poem? Katie turns to art criticism for a process that guides the episode to a deep reading of poems by: Robert Frost,  Carolina Ebeid, Alex Dimitrov, Ezra Pound, and Billy Collins. At the table:Katie DozierTimothy GreenJoe BarcaBrian O'SullivanDick WestheimerNate Jacob

Why shouldn't poems go head to head from time to time? In this episode, Katie and Tim introduce a new type of episode for The Poetry Space_—a poetry battle! Learn the rules, and hear poems from Bill Knott and Ruth Stone fight their way to victory in our first ever poetry duel.At the Table: Katie DozierTimothy Green

Starting out with Adrienne Christian's answer to Nate Jacob's question about starting a poetry workshopping group of his own, we examine how to bring our best to workshops. Katie shares a difficult workshopping experience, and we read some of our favorite on-topic poems.At the Table:Katie DozierTimothy GreenAdrienne ChristianJoe BarcaNate JacobBrian O'SullivanDick Westheimer

How can we craft a poetry workshop that inspires poets? In this episode of The Poetry Space_, the Squad is joined by poet and Pacific University professor Adrienne Christian to workshop our way to the perfect poetry workshop! At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Adrienne Christian Joe Barca Nate Jacob Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer

After part one, comes part two on After Poems. When does it make sense to directly reference another poem? How can we give credit to previous poems without distracting readers from our own? In this episode, we continue our exploration of the logic of literary credit. At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Joe Barca Dick Westheimer

More and more “after” poems are popping up in poetry. When does it make sense to directly reference another poem? How can we give credit to previous poems without distracting readers from our own? In this episode, we share some of our own after poems and explore the logic of literary credit. At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Joe Barca Dick Westheimer

All too often, writers talking about AI spirals into a tornado of fear. What can writers do to code their own growth in the age of artificial intelligence? How will it change the future of poetry publishing, let alone poetry as we know it? This episode is full of enough debate to blow the fuse on AI! At the Table: Katie Dozier, Timothy Green, Joe Barca, Brian O'Sullivan, and Dick Westheimer.

In this “hairstyle of an episode,” we take a turn examining braid poems—such as those popularized by our special guest, David Kirby. What constitutes a braid? This episode may inspire you to plait your own pigtails!  At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green David Kirby Joe Barca  Dick Westheimer 

What better way to kick off a poetry reading road trip than by firing one up for this week's episode of The Poetry Space_?! We go behind the scenes of our new chapbook, "Hot Pink Moon: A Crown of Haibun," and also read many of the poems. Watchout--it just may inspire you to collaborate on a book of your own poetry next! Find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1961694018

Despite the lack of best-selling anthologies on the subject, "divorce poems," are everywhere. In life's most difficult times, we're particularly grateful that poetry is there for us. In this Date Nite episode, Katie and Tim read poems by Roberta Beary, Jack Gilbert, Sharon Olds, and others—including their own. 

Are villanelles really the villains of formal verse? What goes into crafting these 19-line poems? In this episode, special guest Anna M. Evans joins us to look at classic examples as well as contemporary villanelles that push the form to superhero level. At the Table:  Katie Dozier  Timothy Green Anna M. Evans Brian O'Sullivan Nate Jacob 

No short form deserves a longer discussion than haiku! In this episode, Katie and Tim begin by breaking down why haiku is not a (5-7-5) syllabic form. The conversation leaps from the realm of the denotative to the connotative, culminating with an exploration of what reading and writing contemporary haiku can do for you!  At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Nate Jacob Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer Joe Barca

Without further ado, Katie, Tim, and the rest of the Squad say, “I do” to Wedding Poems! Spanning Shakespeare all the way to contemporary poetry, this episode has more poems than a champagne toast has bubbles (well, almost). Help choosing the most memorable poems to share at a wedding is also covered, as well as the best poems to recite should you find yourself unexpectedly at an enemy's ceremony. Katie Dozier Timothy Green Joe Barca Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer Nate Jacob

Who better to explore syllabic poetry with than the Oxford Professor of Poetry, A.E. Stallings?! In this episode, we edge the perimeter of formal verse and free verse to arrive at this all-too-often dismissed poetic genre. We discuss Fibonacci poems, haiku stanzas, Sylvia Plath, and Marianne Moore. Lucky for us, A.E. Stallings shares some of her latest syllabic verse. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green A.E. Stallings Joe Barca Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer

Is Instagram poetry actually poetry? In the most controversial episode yet, Katie and Tim's date nite discussion is crashed by poet Erik Campbell. Listen as we drink whiskey and hit at what irks more traditional poets about this poetic genre, as well as look at what we can learn from InstaPoets like Rupi Kaur, Atticus, Pavana Reddy, Amanda Lovelace, Nikita Gill, and Kate Baer.  At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Erik Campbell

Is prose poetry poetry? This week, Katie, Tim, and friends tackle the trickiest of hybrid forms—the prose poem. Joined by prose poet Kathleen McGookey, we explore the absurdity of removing line breaks, sharing some great examples by T.S. Eliot, Charles Baudelaire, Russell Edson, Victoria Chang, and more. At the Table Katie Dozier Timothy Green Kathleen McGookey Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer Nate Jacob

Tim likes to say that art is the opposite of propaganda—but what does that actually mean? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the relationship between poetry and propaganda, including discussion of Amanda Gorman, Robert Frost, Wilfred Owen, Iain McGilchrist and more. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Brian O'Sullivan Joe Barca Dick Westheimer Nate Jacob

Appalachia is home to over 25 million people with rich roots in storytelling and family lore. This week, Katie, Tim & friends explore the region, joined by special guests Kari Gunter-Seymour and Pauletta Hansel, who share their poetry and their their thoughts on being Appalachian Poets. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Kari Gunter-Seymour Pauletta Hansel Dick Westheimer Nate Jacob Brian O'Sullivan Joe Barca

What makes certain poems more welcoming to a reader? Should poems be accessible? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, joined by special guest George Bilgere, one of the most hospitable poets alive. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green George Bilgere Dick Westheimer Nate Jacob Joe Barca

Haibun might be the most exciting form being written today. It seems not too long ago that haibun was just journal entries that included haiku. Over the last decade, poets have begun pushing the form past those old bounds. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, joined by two of the premiere haibun explorers, Kat Lehmann and Roberta Beary. At the Table Katie Dozier Timothy Green Kat Lehmann Roberta Beary Dick Westheimer Brian O'Sullivan

With Voltas in hand, Katie and Tim set out to re-explore bad poems. The first victims? Themselves! On this date night, no one is safe from honest criticism. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green

Let's think outside the literary box! It's a big world, and there's no reason to limit our poems to lit mags. Why not publish on billboards and sidewalks and bars of soap? There are thousands of other magazines newspapers with big circulations that might publish poems too. Katie, Tim, and friends explore, joined by Nate Jacob, who made a column for his poems in his local newspaper, Jennifer Reeser, who regularly publishes poems in the National Review, and Jeannine Hall Gailey, who has published widely in places like LA Weekly and the Journal of the American Medical Association. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Nate Jacob Jennifer Reeser Jeannine Hall Gailey Dick Westheimer Brian O'Sullivan

What better way to spend a Friday night than on a date discussing how to write a poem? This week Timothy Green and Katie Dozier tackle what makes poems reach the top level of poetry submissions, while having almost too much fun in the process.

Poetry is the music of speech, and the original music of speech is meter. What is meter, anyway? How can you learn to dance with two left feet? Katie, Tim and friends discuss the art of the beat, joined by special guest Boris Dralyuk, formalist and author of My Hollywood.

Wisława Szymborska won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996. Living through WWII and communist Poland, she was known for her use of irony and wit in deceptively simple poems detail domestic life against the backdrop of history. This week, Katie, Tim, and friend take a closer look at her life and poetry, joined by special guest Manuel Iris, whose own work is particularly informed by hers. At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Manuel Iris Dick Westheimer Joe Barca

What do you think of when you think of summer? And how do poems capture that? This week, Katie, Tim, and friends find their summer vibe along with special guests Nate Jacob and Sharon Ferrante, sharing a cooler of poems along the way. At the picnic table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Nate Jacob Sharon Ferrante Joe Barca Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer

Writing poems is only half the battle—performing poems is still an important aspect of sharing the work (and selling books!). Katie, Tim, and friends are joined by slam legend Taylor Mali to discuss the art of presenting poems, reading a few of his own and sharing some hilarious stories along the way. At the table Katie Dozier Timothy Green Taylor Mali Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer Joe Barca

There's a certain type of poem Tim calls the "Classic Rattle Poem." Even as the magazine has become more eclectic over the years, it's always stayed in touch with its accessible narrative roots. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss this style of "front porch poetry," with the authors of three great examples. At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Tony Gloeggler Cindy Guentherman Joe Barca Dick Westheimer Brian O'Sullivan

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery—but it's also a learning tool and a lot of fun. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the art of adopting another poets voice, joined by award-winning formalist and ventriloquist A.M. Juster, author of The Billy Collins Experience. Along the way, we share some other great poems mimicking Wallace Stevens, Kay Ryan, Bob Dylan, and more. At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green A.M. Juster Dick Westheimer Joe Barca

It's always better when we're together! This week's collaborative space discusses the art of collaboration. Katie, Tim & friends are joined by Nicole Tallman, who began collaborating on poetry with the late great Maureen Seaton, and has made collaborative poetry a focus of her work as poetry ambassador of Miami, sharing co-written poems in the process. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Nicole Tallman Brian O'Sullivan Joe Barca Dick Westheimer

Billy Collins has long been called the most popular poet in America, which makes him a divisive figure among poets. Is it just envy? Katie, Tim, and friends take a deep dive into his trademark wit and renowned accessibility to see what makes his poems tick—joined by special guests Gwendolyn Soper and Attracta Fahy. Around the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Gwendolyn Soper Attracta Fahy Dick Westheimer Brian O'Sullivan Joe Barca

Ekfa-what?! From the Greek word for "description," ekphrastic poetry was originally just that—poems that painted artwork into words. Over time, though, it's become it's own genre of using art as inspiration. Katie, Tim and friends discuss, joined by special guest and six-time winner of Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge, Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco. Around the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco Dick Westheimer Joe Barca Brian O'Sullivan

Under the influence of Lemmys™, Katie and Tim go on a date, exploring the meaning of verse and what led them both to making space for poetry in their lives.

Wendy Videlock joins the space as Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the dance in the mouth that are the sounds of poetry. Wendy shares several poems and talks about rhyme and repetition in the process of creation. At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Wendy Videlock Joe Barca Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer

Bob Hicok joins the space as Katie, Tim, and friends discuss that trance-like hypnotic state of being in the zone while writing a poem. This is the meditative space we all seek as writers—what is it, and how do we get there? At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Bob Hicok Erik Campbell Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer Joe Barca

Dating back to the 12th century, the sestina is one of poetry's knottiest forms, repeating 6 words 7 times in 39 lines. Katie, Tim, and friends wrestle with repetition as they discuss the form with successful sestina wranglers Kathleen McClung and Rebecca Snow, sharing some great poems along the way.

Abby E. Murray won 2024 Neil Postman Award for Metaphor for her poem "Supermoon." But who was Neil Postman, and where did this award come from? Katie, Tim, and friends are joined by Abby Murray and Erik Campbell, who conceived of the award way back in 2004. At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Erik Campbell Abby E. Murray Dick Westheimer Brian O'Sullivan Joe Barca

A poem is never finished, only abandoned, according to Paul Valéry—but how do we go about re-visioning a poem to make the most out of its potential? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, along with special guests Christine Potter and Nicole Caruso Garcia. Today's table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Christine Potter Dick Westheimer Nicole Caruso Garcia Brian O'Sullivan Joe Barca

A few episodes back, we looked at submissions from the editor's perspective—this week, we take a look at the other side of the aisle. Katie and Tim are joined by special guests Jeannine Hall Gailey, Bethany Jarmul, Joe Barca, Brian O'Sullivan, and Tom Barlow to talk about how to go about submitting poems for publication.

How do we classify different types of poems? What makes a form fit into a definition and does it matter? In response to some recent, minor controversies in the poetry world, Katie, Tim and friends discuss what makes a haiku a haiku and what makes a sonnet a sonnet—as always, sharing great examples along the way.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Katie, Tim, and crew talk about love poems! What's the heart of a love poem and what makes it tick? The Poetry Space_ discussed this topic a year ago, but this time we dig a little deeper.

Hard or soft, accidental or intentional, plagiarism is always lurking in the shadows of the literary world. The recent exposure of a prolific plagiarist makes the topic timely. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss all with two of the victims, and then go deeper into anxiety of influence and deja-ku—sharing some poems along the way, as always.