The Poetry Space_

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.

Poetry was the first digital technology—storytelling through the repetition of sound and rhythm is the foundation of human development. This week, we discuss metrical poetry: why does it work? how does it work? how should we talk about it? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss it all, and share some unforgettable formal poems in the process.

A title is the doorway into a poem, and the way store it in the catalogues of our memory. What makes a good title? What makes a bad title? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss titles from every angle, and work at live-titling one of Katie's poems in the process.

Let's tackle the touchy subject: money! There's little money in poetry, but poetry is endlessly valuable. What does it all mean? From MFA programs to NFTs, Katie, Tim, and friends discuss it all, and share a few priceless poems in the process.

Let's talk about our favorite thing—favorite poems! Katie, Tim, and friends share their personal favorites, and talk about what makes that so. We share poems by Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Ada Limon, Billy Collins, David Kirby, Julie Kane, E.E. Cummings and more in the process.

Every poet knows the feeling of rejection. That's the game we play when we send our work out into the world. This week, Katie, Tim & friends talk about rejection, rejection letters, how to react, and more, while sharing a pair of rejection-inspired poems.

Poetry book sales are dismal—so why publish poetry books at all? And if we do still have good reasons, how do we make the most of those goals beyond the numbers? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, along with special guests Amelie Lasker of Alexandria Labs and Justin Tagg of Hyperreal Films.

With Tim on a plane, Katie flew solo for our first official open mic! Joe Barca, Oddwritings, Attracta Fahy, Sylvie Bax, and Doodleslice were among the poets who shared work in a lively and inspiring hour of poetry.

We tackle a tiny but important detail on this week's space—where to break our lines. Enjambment is a key part of keeping poetry interesting to read. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss how to break a line, paraprodek ... paraprod ... paraprose—whatever, just listen—using many examples from poems.

On the heels of the Haiku North America conference we talk about haibun—a scaled up model of the jumps in haiku. What is the form and how does it work? We talk to Dave Bonta, curator of the Haibun Film Festival, and share a number of haibun in the process, including Katie's poem in the current issue of Frogpond.

Inspired by John Richard Smith's poem “Regret Tattoos,” we talk about regrets in poetry. Are there poems that we regret publishing? Should we ever regret a poem? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, including insight from behind the editor's desk Mark Danowsky of One Art. Attracta Fahy and Megan Hoffman share powerful personal accounts of their experiences speaking the truth, and we share some...

Is every poem an act of gratitude? Are the most popular poets all poets of gratitude? There does seem to be lack of gratitude in modern culture that does as much damage as a vitamin deficiency—can poetry be the antidote? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss all of this, while sharing some unforgettable poems of thanks.

A week after the release of Rattle's NFT Poets issue, we gather together a number of the contributors to talk about their work and how the issue came to be. Guests include Gregory Betts, Pierre Gervois, Johnny Dean Mann, George Pastana, Sarah Ridgley, Justin Tagg, and Dick Westheimer in what felt like a party.

Let's talk about Katie's favorite movement: The Beats! We discuss free writing, freedom of speech, and ties to Blake, as the whole crew tries to convince Tim that Beat poems aren't too long. The space closes out with Tim's rendition of "Subterranean Homesick Blues" by Bob Dylan, at least one (maybe?) Beat he can get behind.