Jul 11 Of black shootings by police, poet asks: When will it stop? By Mary Jo Brooks Poet Ed Pavlic has written numerous poems and essays about the complicated relationship between black men and the police. Much of it comes from personal experience. Continue reading
Jun 27 The goal of this kids’ story about soccer? To foster a love of poetry By Mary Jo Brooks Nick Hall, the 12-year-old protagonist in Kwame Alexander’s latest novel-in-verse, “Booked,” is a soccer star who dreams of playing in the European Cup. Unfortunately, his days are filled with the more mundane challenges. Continue reading
Jun 17 Watch 4:33 On anniversary of church shooting, South Carolina poets offer healing through verse By PBS News Hour Friday saw the first anniversary of the shooting at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church, where alleged white supremacist Dylann Roof killed nine black churchgoers. Among those who struggled to come to terms with the tragedy were two local poets, musician and… Continue watching
May 30 Watch 5:43 Using poetry to shed light on the worst of memories, including genocide By PBS News Hour Just over a century ago, the Armenian Genocide saw the expulsion and death of at least 1.5 million people in what was then the Ottoman Empire. Among those affected was Pulitzer-winning poet Peter Balakian’s family, which did its best to… Continue watching
May 23 When cancer changed everything, writing poems was an act of healing By Mary Jo Brooks Gail Rudd Entrekin and her husband Charles turned to poetry to deal with the frustration, fear and anger they felt during Charles' battle with cancer. Continue reading
May 16 The poetry of simmering Chicago summers By Mary Jo Brooks Parneshia Jones is a child of the North and grandchild of the South, and her poetry reflects that duality. The smells, tastes and sounds of Mississippi and Louisiana mingle with the rhythms and realities of the northern industrial city she… Continue reading
May 09 Advice to poets: get out of the ivory tower By Mary Jo Brooks The very first thing Kim Stafford does every morning is write. "It's a way to settle your accounts. If you're angry, if you regret something, put it down on a page. Sometimes it's a poem. Sometimes it's a consideration. But… Continue reading
May 03 Watch 5:32 Vietnamese American poet contemplates his personal ties to the war By Anne Azzi Davenport In “Night Sky With Exit Wounds,” poet Ocean Vuong pays tribute to the oral tradition of his family and his personal connection to the Vietnam War. Continue watching
May 02 How poetry helps us understand mental illness By Corinne Segal Poet Shira Erlichman writes about her relationship to Lithium to treat mental illness. Continue reading
Apr 25 How poet Shane McCrae learned to break the rules By Corinne Segal Shane McCrae's poems are often an experiment in form, built from nontraditional metrics and a focus on sound and texture. Continue reading