Mar 17 Weekly Poem: Ron Padgett reads ‘Thinking about the Moon’ By artsdesk Ron Padgett is an American poet, essayist, fiction writer, translator and member of the New York School. His latest book “Collected Poems” is a compilation of his works from 1960-2004 including 11 previous publications and dozens of uncollected poems. Padgett… Continue reading
Mar 13 Incarcerated teens write to free their demons; ‘I could have been beautiful’ By Mary Jo Brooks That poem, written by 18-year-old Jada, has become his mantra, of sorts. He began writing poetry five years ago, when he was a patient at a state psychiatric hospital in Lakewood, Wash. There he participated in the Pongo Writing Project,… Continue reading
Mar 13 Poet’s Notebook: Difficult Knowledge By Natasha Trethewey Visiting the King County Juvenile Detention Facility I couldn’t help thinking of the words of poet Robert Frost. In my own life I believe it was an early education in poetical metaphor that helped me to grapple with and make… Continue reading
Mar 10 Weekly Poem: Michael Collier reads ‘Grandmother with Mink Stole, Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix, Arizona, 1959’ By artsdesk Michael Collier was the Poet Laureate of Maryland from 2001-2004. He has published several collections of poetry, including “The Ledge,” which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the national Book Critics Circle Award. “An Individual… Continue reading
Mar 03 Weekly Poem: Rachel Zucker pulls inspiration from the noise of New York By Victoria Fleischer Rachel Zucker was once told that poets either write out of noise or out of silence and she has no doubt which category she falls into. Zucker just published a new collection of poems called “The Pedestrians.” A… Continue reading
Feb 24 Poetry exposes truth about public housing in the Bay Area By Victoria Fleischer For Deandre Evans, Will Hartfield and Donte Clark writing poetry isn’t solely about expressing themselves, it’s also about reporting on a story that’s affecting their community. Through the Off/Page Project, a collaboration between Youth Speaks and The Center for Investigative… Continue reading
Feb 24 Weekly Poem: E. E. Cummings biographer reads his poem ‘Cambridge Ladies’ By Victoria Fleischer Susan Cheever's new biography of the poet is called "E. E. Cummings: A Life." She has also written biographies about Louisa May Alcott, Bill Wilson and her father John Cheever, in addition to 12 other published fiction and nonfiction books. Continue reading
Feb 21 Susan Cheever writes of life behind E.E. Cummings’s famous verse By Victoria Fleischer Cummings was one of the most popular poets of his time. His work is linked to the movements of Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. The group of modernists from the 1930s and ‘40s covered all artistic… Continue reading
Feb 17 Weekly Poem: Suzanne Cleary tried to learn Italian, instead she wrote a poem By Victoria Fleischer Suzanne Cleary loves the sound of Italian. When she picked up a copy of “Italian Made Simple,” she was determined to teach herself the language before a trip to Italy. Instead Clearly came away fascinated by the characters in the… Continue reading