Jun 14 Watch new poet laureate Tracy K. Smith read two of her poems By Larisa Epatko Tracy K. Smith, the nation’s newest poet laureate, says writing is not just about expressing emotion but of the choices you make when putting words on the page. She reads two of her poems here. Continue reading
Jun 12 Why this poet is posting meaningless verse on Instagram By Elizabeth Flock Thom Young, a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, launched an experiment to show how easy it is to become a social media star. Continue reading
Jun 05 Watch this 7th grader use slam poetry to tell girls: ‘You are good enough’ By Elizabeth Flock Olivia Vella wanted to tell girls her age that they were talented, smart and beautiful -- no matter how often they were told otherwise. Continue reading
May 30 Watch 7:34 How one poet is helping Chicago students find their voice through verse By PBS News Hour More than 50 people were shot during the holiday weekend in Chicago. Often, when we talk about the city — and its school system — we hear about too much violence and too little money. Jeffrey Brown talks to poet… Continue watching
May 29 How to savor a perfect summer day, in verse By Elizabeth Flock Dungy's new collection of poetry asks us, in spite of the pain or difficulty of being human today, to find joy and vibrancy in our experiences. Continue reading
May 22 What these humble one-liners can teach us about the times we live in By Elizabeth Flock Yahia Lababidi said the 140 character age of Twitter has turned many of us into aspiring aphorists. And he believes the form is more important than ever. Continue reading
May 15 In ‘Scranton Lace,’ nostalgia for a time and place that no longer exist By Elizabeth Flock While Margot Douaihy's new book is a love letter to Scranton, she said it also acknowledges the Rust Belt's limits. Continue reading
May 08 From Trayvon Martin to Sandra Bland, these poems use court documents to honor black lives cut short By Elizabeth Flock The Black Lives Matter movement asks us to say the names of the black men and women who have died in encounters with police. Poet and educator Simone John wants us to also understand their stories, through her debut collection… Continue reading
May 02 Returning home, these West Virginians are rewriting the poetry of Appalachia By Elizabeth Flock The poetry community is growing in West Virginia. Many are poets who left and have come back home. Continue reading
Apr 24 This poet explores the high-flying realms of space — but also the earthly problems of growing up poor By Elizabeth Flock In his new books "Map to the Stars," Adrian Matejka writes about his childhood fixation on space, which offered a distraction from living in poverty. Continue reading