The Line Break

It is the month of Bob's nuptials! The dudes actually pre-recorded a whole episode, but Chris's hard drive broke. He's working on getting it fixed, and that episode will air later. For now, please enjoy a few love poems to get your summer started.

It's still National Poetry Month, for a few more days. What better way to celebrate than to be joined by poet with a debut collection dropping soon? Our guest today is Mckendy Fils-Aimé, author of the forthcoming Sipèstisyon from YesYesBooks. We talk influence and coming up in the slam world, and then Mckendy reads "Parkside & Ocean" by b ferguson as well as his own poem, "sipèstisyon." Oh, and th...

For the third year in a row, Bob and Chris went to AWP. Beyond having a blast in one of the country's coolest cities, we also bought some books! Today, Bob reads "Destiny: Or, From The Tour Abolie" by Bruno Darío (translated by Kit Schluter), Chris reads "Nulliparous (PFP)" by Chiara Di Lello, and then the dudes make NBA Finals picks.

Do you believe in poetry magic? Once again, our poems are magically in conversation, without any pre-planning. Bob reads “The Regency Fete” by Rita Dove, Chris reads "star / date" by upfromsumdirt, and then the dudes discuss Chris Paul's retirement.

Poetry helps us see the world. Whether it's giving permission to look closer or making us see old things anew, a few surprising language choices and enjambments can really alter yr brain. This week, Bob reads "cellular memory" by Mónica Teresa Ortiz, Chris reads "Pastoral, 1992" by Joe Wilkins, and the guys talk about whether the new NBA broadcasters are working out or not.

It's the end of the year, and the dudes are looking to the great beyond. Or, at least, to literature in other countries. Bob reads "December's Ruler" by Afrizar Malza (translated from the Indonesian by Daniel Owen), Chris reads "Logging Time" by Aase Berg (translated from the Swedish by Johannes Göransson), and the dudes talk about ways to make syntax more interesting. Then, some NBA Cup talk.

Everyone's having a great autumn, and that means it's the perfect time to read poetry. This month, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi, author of Disintegration Plain and Easy. Kiik reads "Whale In A Well" by Ben Niespodziany as well as his own "skeleton of glass and marmalade." Then, the guys talk about NBA players who are probably good at emotions. Find Disintegration Made...

Poetry is beautiful, but beautiful art isn't always going to leave you feeling cozy. This month, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome dear friend Teo Shannon to discuss his debut collection, a chronology of blood. Teo also reads "Everybody Loves A Winner" by Tory Dent, and explains why we're all underrating Brutalist architecture.

Poetry is supposed to make you feel things, and today, the dudes are loving feelings. Bob reads "Contemplating The Cod" by Belle Ling, Chris reads "POEM ENDING WITH SOME ADVICE" by Heather Cristle, and then the guys talk about how much better off every team in the NBA is except the ones that they cheer for.

There is a lot of great poetry out there. Sometimes, it takes a while to get around to reading the greats. Today, Bob reads "Strata" by Richard Siken, Chris reads "Eb Major" by Percival Everett, and then the dudes talk about basketball players they wished they'd watched more. Check out Bob's book, Utopians In Love, here: https://utopiansinlove.com/ Check out Chris's blog and music here: https://ww...

The Line Break is back! As the poet says, it's been a long time / shouldn't have left you. We didn't mean to, we just had readings to do. Now we're back, reading in your ears. Bob reads "Everything's a Fake" by Fanny Howe, Chris reads"Lupine Nocturne" by Elise Paschen, and then the dudes pine for a Jokic-Giannis Finals in 2026.

Another AWP in the books! We didn't have the energy for guerilla poetry again this year, but we also have something to celebrate: the release of UTOPIANS IN LOVE! Bob's book dropped just before AWP started, and you should both request it at your local library and order it from Game Over Books. On top of all that, the lads discuss conference panels, offsite reading, and street food. Apologies for t...

Spring training is here, and we've brought Sandra Marchetti back! Sandy reads from her forthcoming book, DIORAMA, the three talk about manuscript structure and the vacuum cleaner of Lake Shore Drive, and then Sandy leads the dudes into a discussion of aesthetics in sports. SANDRA MARCHETTI is the 2023 winner of The Twin Bill Book Prize for Best Baseball Poetry Book of the Year. She is the author o...

The hits keep rolling with these guest interviews! Today, Bob and Chris are joined by Justin Carter, author of BRAZOS. Justin reads "Facet" by Dean Young and his own poem "Watching the 2001 Daytona 500 With My Father," and then the guys talk about Justin's writing on the WNBA and college basketball. Justin Carter is a writer living in Des Moines, Iowa. His first poetry collection, Brazos, was publ...

The Line Break podcast: the place where Poet Laureates go. This month, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome Melissa Ferrer Civil, inaugural Poet Laureate of Kansas City, MO! Melissa reads Angel Nafis's "Ghazal For Becoming Your Own Country" as well as their own poem, "Alambrista," from the book 'Steno Pad.' Find more Melissa: https://melissaferrerand.com/ Melissa Ferrer Civil (&), (she/they), for...

The winter solstice is approaching—the shortest day of the year—which means it's a great time to read one of the longest poems ever written, Bernadette Mayer's 'Midwinter Day.' Bob and Chris each read sections of the poem, talk about the lore behind the writing, and reflect on other "story takes place in a day" books.

After August in September, it's November in December! Arriving late—tucking their shits in and trying to muss down their hair—the dudes are finally ready to bring some poems to your ears. Bob reads "Love Song to the Alpacas of Solomon Lane" by Kenzie Allen, Chris reads a three-line collaborative poem by Joshua Beckman and Matthew Rohrer, and then the dudes talk intriguing NBA stories so far.

It's year two for Garden Party Collective, and the winners of the 2024 chapbook contest are here! In this episode, Bob interviews (and Chris reacts to) Ashley Elizabeth (red line), Jacob Jardel (Full-Blooded CHamaole), Kenny Bradley (Night Science), and Maya Williams (What's So Wrong With A Pity Party Anyway?). Learn more about Garden Party Collective: https://www.gardenpartycollective.com/ Check...

Summer's over, it's September, so naturally, we've invited our dear friend August J. Smith on the show! The author of VISITORS FROM THE RED STAR and ten chapbooks, as well as the mind behind the band Plum Wooer, August also used to live with Bob. August reads Mary Coons' poem "The Talking Family," his own poem "Viktor Kostrykin," and then the lads tell him about Victor Wembanyama and forget crucia...

Summer is coming to a close, and it's time for the dudes to celebrate one of the most important summer events in a poet's life: the Ghost City Press Micro-Chapbook Summer Series! Bob reads from "Eating Out Anne Sexton" by Elena Sichrovsky and "AI Fever" by Paddy Qiu, Chris reads from "Poems" by Tom Snarsky and "Every Path Leads To The Sea" by Erinola E. Daranijo, and then the guys debate whether R...

How can we continue to interrogate our writing? What new ways can we find to push ourselves as we read deeper? This month, Bob reads "A Romantic Sonnet!" by S. Yarberry, Chris reads "Dear Moses Grandy...Love, the Great Dismal Swamp," and the dudes wonder if they can grasp the concept of time zones clearly enough to watch Olympic basketball.

Summer is here, so why not read poems? This month, Bob reads "Time Is Filled with Beginners" by Diana Khoi Nguyen, Chris reads "This is the Barbecue We Had Last Night" by Han VanderHart, and then the guys recap and re-cope the NBA Finals.

on this month's episode, Bob and Chris confront narratives that feel depressingly inevitable—that war will continue to happen and fatherhood is difficult to get right—and try to see if poetry can help change those narratives. Bob reads "[...]" by Fady Joudah, Chris reads "We Were All Odysseus In Those Days," and even though the guys recorded less than a week ago, their playoff takes are already ob...

Strap on your leather armor and sharpen your curved bronze swords, Bob Curator of Calendars and Chris Wrecker of Ships are reading The Iliad! The dudes realized they had both separately decided to storm the gates of Troy (Bob shepherded by Emily Wilson's translation, Chris violently thrown around by Robert Fagles') and figured why not do an episode on it? In this episode, you'll find enthusiastic...

Gather round, damas y caballeros, children of all ages, have we got a treat for you! It's the first but probably not last crossover episode between The Line Break and Of Poetry! That's right, Han VanderHart joins Bob Sykora and Chris Corlew, and the three of them read not merely other people's poetry, but reach into the depths of their notebooks to holler some of their own art-words your way. Han...