The Poetry Space_

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.

On the heels of the 2023 Wrightwood Poetry Slam, we talk about performance poetry, sharing some favorite slam-style poems, and exploring what we might be able to learn from the competitive poetry. Tim takes a look back at Rattle's slam issue, and Katie suggests Ginsberg's "America" might be the first slam-style poem.

This week we trip into the Jello-filled pool of humor. What makes a poem funny? Why make a poem funny? Melissa Balmain of Light Poetry Journal joins the usual gang, as Katie and Tim discuss what makes comedy tick. We read some favorite funny poems along the way.

This week, Katie, Tim, and crew talk about poems about the news, discussing the history of Rattle's Poets Respond series, news toxicity, and whether poems are an antidote or accelerant. We also share a bunch of great news poems along the way.

This week in the space, we take advantage of Katie's culinary background and borrow a metaphor from foodies. Poems are plated in the same way a gourmet dish would be. How do you make the most of the presentation? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, sharing a variety of shapely poems and otherwise.

This week, Katie and Tim discuss another of their favorite forms: haiku! Joined by recent Touchstone Award winner Joshua Eric Williams and Haiku Society of America Book Award winner Roberta Beary and other friends, we explore the power and possibility hiding inside this short form of poetry, and share some of our favorite examples.

This week, Katie, Tim, and crew discuss National Poetry Month—is the the cruelest or the coolest? Tim plays the role of the Grinch, but can we all find common ground in the end? And of course there will be poems …

This week, Katie and Tim call in live from day 3 of the NFT.nyc Conference. Edward Carpenter and Rionna Morgan and friends join to discuss their thoughts on the conference, the historic NFT Pop-up Reading, and more.

This week, Katie, Tim, and friends discuss this season's hottest topic: artificial intelligence. What are Large Language Models, and what will they mean for the future of poetry and human creativity? Art they the best of tools or the worst of terrors? We discuss it all over green tea.

This week, Katie, Tim, and crew discuss publishing in the 21st century and Tim's recent article in Lit Mag News, "Uncurated: The Case for a New Term of Art." By not embracing modern modes of publishing, poetry itself has been working with one hand tied behind its back—but together we can fix it. Let's talk about how.

Neil Postman called metaphor an "organ of perception." Metaphors are central aspect of poetry—and all creative thinking. This week, Katie, Tim, and company discuss metaphor from every angle, and share their favorite metaphor-rich poems.

This week we talk about Katie's favorite form: the sonnet! What is it that makes this form so special? Everyone shares their favorites. 

This week, Katie, Tim, and crew talk "poetiquette"—the codes of polite behavior in the poetry and those who break them. Rude replies, unethical publishers, unsolicited advice … Which behaviors in poetry (traditional and/or NFTs) irk you?