The Poetry Space_

Despite the lack of best-selling anthologies on the subject, "divorce poems," are everywhere. In life's most difficult times, we're particularly grateful that poetry is there for us. In this Date Nite episode, Katie and Tim read poems by Roberta Beary, Jack Gilbert, Sharon Olds, and others—including their own. 

Are villanelles really the villains of formal verse? What goes into crafting these 19-line poems? In this episode, special guest Anna M. Evans joins us to look at classic examples as well as contemporary villanelles that push the form to superhero level. At the Table:  Katie Dozier  Timothy Green Anna M. Evans Brian O’Sullivan Nate Jacob 

No short form deserves a longer discussion than haiku! In this episode, Katie and Tim begin by breaking down why haiku is not a (5-7-5) syllabic form. The conversation leaps from the realm of the denotative to the connotative, culminating with an exploration of what reading and writing contemporary haiku can do for you!  At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Nate Jacob Brian O’Sullivan Dick Wes...

Without further ado, Katie, Tim, and the rest of the Squad say, “I do” to Wedding Poems! Spanning Shakespeare all the way to contemporary poetry, this episode has more poems than a champagne toast has bubbles (well, almost). Help choosing the most memorable poems to share at a wedding is also covered, as well as the best poems to recite should you find yourself unexpectedly at an enemy’s ceremony....

Who better to explore syllabic poetry with than the Oxford Professor of Poetry, A.E. Stallings?! In this episode, we edge the perimeter of formal verse and free verse to arrive at this all-too-often dismissed poetic genre. We discuss Fibonacci poems, haiku stanzas, Sylvia Plath, and Marianne Moore. Lucky for us, A.E. Stallings shares some of her latest syllabic verse. At the Table: Katie Dozier Ti...

Is Instagram poetry actually poetry? In the most controversial episode yet, Katie and Tim's date nite discussion is crashed by poet Erik Campbell. Listen as we drink whiskey and hit at what irks more traditional poets about this poetic genre, as well as look at what we can learn from InstaPoets like Rupi Kaur, Atticus, Pavana Reddy, Amanda Lovelace, Nikita Gill, and Kate Baer.  At the Table: K...

Is prose poetry poetry? This week, Katie, Tim, and friends tackle the trickiest of hybrid forms—the prose poem. Joined by prose poet Kathleen McGookey, we explore the absurdity of removing line breaks, sharing some great examples by T.S. Eliot, Charles Baudelaire, Russell Edson, Victoria Chang, and more. At the Table Katie Dozier Timothy Green Kathleen McGookey Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer...

Tim likes to say that art is the opposite of propaganda—but what does that actually mean? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the relationship between poetry and propaganda, including discussion of Amanda Gorman, Robert Frost, Wilfred Owen, Iain McGilchrist and more. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Brian O'Sullivan Joe Barca Dick Westheimer Nate Jacob

Appalachia is home to over 25 million people with rich roots in storytelling and family lore. This week, Katie, Tim & friends explore the region, joined by special guests Kari Gunter-Seymour and Pauletta Hansel, who share their poetry and their their thoughts on being Appalachian Poets. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Kari Gunter-Seymour Pauletta Hansel Dick Westheimer Nate Jacob Bria...

What makes certain poems more welcoming to a reader? Should poems be accessible? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, joined by special guest George Bilgere, one of the most hospitable poets alive. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green George Bilgere Dick Westheimer Nate Jacob Joe Barca

Haibun might be the most exciting form being written today. It seems not too long ago that haibun was just journal entries that included haiku. Over the last decade, poets have begun pushing the form past those old bounds. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, joined by two of the premiere haibun explorers, Kat Lehmann and Roberta Beary. At the Table Katie Dozier Timothy Green Kat Lehmann Roberta Beary...

With Voltas in hand, Katie and Tim set out to re-explore bad poems. The first victims? Themselves! On this date night, no one is safe from honest criticism. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green

Let's think outside the literary box! It's a big world, and there's no reason to limit our poems to lit mags. Why not publish on billboards and sidewalks and bars of soap? There are thousands of other magazines newspapers with big circulations that might publish poems too. Katie, Tim, and friends explore, joined by Nate Jacob, who made a column for his poems in his local newspaper, Jen...

What better way to spend a Friday night than on a date discussing how to write a poem? This week Timothy Green and Katie Dozier tackle what makes poems reach the top level of poetry submissions, while having almost too much fun in the process.

Poetry is the music of speech, and the original music of speech is meter. What is meter, anyway? How can you learn to dance with two left feet? Katie, Tim and friends discuss the art of the beat, joined by special guest Boris Dralyuk, formalist and author of My Hollywood.

Wisława Szymborska won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996. Living through WWII and communist Poland, she was known for her use of irony and wit in deceptively simple poems detail domestic life against the backdrop of history. This week, Katie, Tim, and friend take a closer look at her life and poetry, joined by special guest Manuel Iris, whose own work is particularly informed by hers. At the...

What do you think of when you think of summer? And how do poems capture that? This week, Katie, Tim, and friends find their summer vibe along with special guests Nate Jacob and Sharon Ferrante, sharing a cooler of poems along the way. At the picnic table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Nate Jacob Sharon Ferrante Joe Barca Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer

Writing poems is only half the battle—performing poems is still an important aspect of sharing the work (and selling books!). Katie, Tim, and friends are joined by slam legend Taylor Mali to discuss the art of presenting poems, reading a few of his own and sharing some hilarious stories along the way. At the table Katie Dozier Timothy Green Taylor Mali Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer Joe Barc...

There's a certain type of poem Tim calls the "Classic Rattle Poem." Even as the magazine has become more eclectic over the years, it's always stayed in touch with its accessible narrative roots. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss this style of "front porch poetry," with the authors of three great examples. At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Tony Gloeggler Cindy Guent...

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery—but it's also a learning tool and a lot of fun. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the art of adopting another poets voice, joined by award-winning formalist and ventriloquist A.M. Juster, author of The Billy Collins Experience. Along the way, we share some other great poems mimicking Wallace Stevens, Kay Ryan, Bob Dylan, and more. At the table:...

It's always better when we're together! This week's collaborative space discusses the art of collaboration. Katie, Tim & friends are joined by Nicole Tallman, who began collaborating on poetry with the late great Maureen Seaton, and has made collaborative poetry a focus of her work as poetry ambassador of Miami, sharing co-written poems in the process. At the Table: Katie Dozier Ti...

Billy Collins has long been called the most popular poet in America, which makes him a divisive figure among poets. Is it just envy? Katie, Tim, and friends take a deep dive into his trademark wit and renowned accessibility to see what makes his poems tick—joined by special guests Gwendolyn Soper and Attracta Fahy. Around the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Gwendolyn Soper Attracta Fahy Dick Wes...

Ekfa-what?! From the Greek word for "description," ekphrastic poetry was originally just that—poems that painted artwork into words. Over time, though, it's become it's own genre of using art as inspiration. Katie, Tim and friends discuss, joined by special guest and six-time winner of Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge, Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco. Around the table: Katie Dozier Ti...

Under the influence of Lemmys™, Katie and Tim go on a date, exploring the meaning of verse and what led them both to making space for poetry in their lives.

Wendy Videlock joins the space as Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the dance in the mouth that are the sounds of poetry. Wendy shares several poems and talks about rhyme and repetition in the process of creation. At the table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Wendy Videlock Joe Barca Brian O'Sullivan Dick Westheimer