The Poetry Space_

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.

Walt Whitman is the father of contemporary poetry, opening the door for a poetry of the self, the body, the ordinary. He had big ambitions and, for the most part, fulfilled them. Katie, Tim and friends discuss Uncle Walt. Do the poems live up to the legacy?

Let's talk about turns—shifts in the apparent direction of a poem. Sonnets formalize turns with the concept of the volta, but most of the best poems have turns of some kind … do they all? What is a turn, and how are they made? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, and turn toward some great examples along the way!

Submissions are the heart of the traditional poetry world. What's it like to read them? What's the best way to submit them? Why do we call them submissions in the first place? Katie and Tim are joined by Mark Danowski of One Art, Roberta Beary of Modern Haiku, and other friends to talk about it all.

What the heck is a chapbook? How do you make them? Why would you? And what makes a Rattle Chapbook Prize winner? Katie, Tim and friends answer all your question, along with a special guest appearance by Michael Mark, who shared poems from his award-winning chapbook, Visiting Her in Queens Is More Enlightening than a Month in a Monastery in Tibet.

Weddings, funerals, inaugurations—public events are the places most people encounter poems. This week, Katie, Tim, and friends take a look occasional poems, reading some by Ada Limon, W.H. Auden, and more along the way. How do they work, and how are they different from what we usually write and share?

After last week's discussion about the need for more poetry criticism, we tried to practice what we preach, taking a careful look at contemporary poems. What is it that makes a good poem great? Katie, Tim and friends discuss, and read four poems in the process: Dick Westheimer's "In Kherson …," Maggie Smith's "Good Bones," Dorianne Laux's "Moon Ghazal,&quot...

Poetry criticism: Is there even such a thing, anymore? It seems like William Logan is the last poetry critic willing to take his gloves off and entertain us with strong opinions. But some call him a "serial skewer" and a "pompous ass." Is this kind of criticism harmful or good for poetry? On the other end of the spectrum is the book blurb review, in which friends and colleagues...

Just in time for Thanksgiving, this episode features an open mic for poems on gratitude. Katie, Tim and friends share their favorite thankful poems and some of their own, including poems by Mary Oliver, George Bilgere, and more.

The ghazal is one of the most powerful forms of poetry, but also one of the most misunderstood, and it's history and adoption into English feels surprisingly similar to that of haiku. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss form that's been flourishing in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu for almost a thousand years—joined by special guests Shannan Mann and Karan Kapoor.

As Sharon Olds says, "There's not a bad poet in the first grade." Whether the poems are light or heavy, the heart of poetry is a sense of play. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss what it takes to write like a child, sharing some great poems along the way, and joined by especially playful poets Katie Kemple and Doodleslice.

Edgar Allan Poe was a master of the macabre, but also a brilliant metricist, critic, and thinker. Katie, Tim, and friends, including scholar Omer Faruk Karasahan, discuss the legend and the legacy of Poe and his moment in literary history.

As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This week, Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the crucial beginnings of poems, sharing many examples in the process. Attention is the currency of the information age—there are so many other places we could be spending our time than even a short poem. The first line needs to let a reader know the ride will be worth it.

Is it possible to write a bad poem? What would it mean for a poem to be good? Should we even talk this way? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss passing judgment on poems, and read some of the worst poems in history in the process.

I’m Nobody. Who are you? This week we take a close look at the loaded gun that is Emily Dickinson, one of the most influential poets in history. Gwendolyn Soper joins Katie, Tim, and friends to talk about queen of the em-dash and the way she changed the poetry world. As always, great poems abound!

From the big twist to the soft landing, there are 1,000 ways to end a poem. This week, Katie, Tim, and Friends talk about all the things that make a last line sing—sharing a rich selection of favorites along the way.

We meant to talk about poetry contests in general, but ended up spending almost the entire time on the Rattle Poetry Prize. It's behind the scenes with the editor! Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the ethics of poetry contests.

Let's discuss the ways we generate poems. Katie is the Prompt Poem of the Month editor for Rattle and just published her first selection, a senryu series about cooking. We discuss writing prompts and share some of the poems they've inspired.