Vita Poetica Journal

Basira Harpster reads her personal essay, " Wood Heat ," from our Autumn 2021 issue.  Basira Harpster is a speech therapist, writer, and gardener in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains. Her poetry appears in Sows’ Ear Poetry Review . She’s currently working on short personal essays and has a memoir in progress.

The Vita Poetica Journal 's Autumn 2021 issue is out! Here's a preview of what we have in store for you this season. You can also head to our website to see the full issue, including visual art and videos, and to stream the straight audio issue.

We introduce the visual art of Jennifer Anne Moses, who has three paintings featured in our Summer issue . And hear Jeff Burt read his poem, " Jonah ."  This is our last episode of this podcast season. We'll be back in October with our Fall issue and a new season of the Journal podcast. If you'd like to submit work to the journal, please visit our website, where you can find submission guidel...

L. Ward Abel reads " Cradle the Easter Wind ," and Kathleen Gunton reads two centos: " Love's Radiant Play " and " Putting Words Next to Silence ." All of the poems can be found in our Summer issue . L. Ward Abel’s work has appeared in Rattle, The Reader, The Istanbul Review, The Worcester Review, The Honest Ulsterman , hundreds of others, and he is the author of three full collections and ten cha...

Jeannine Marie Pitas reads her poems, " The river that cuts a country in two " and " During the Sixth Extinction ," from the Summer issue of our journal. Jeannine Marie Pitas is a teacher, writer, and Spanish-English literary translator living in Iowa, where she teaches at the University of Dubuque. Her first poetry collection, Things Seen and Unseen , was published by Mosaic Press in 2019. Her fa...

Karen Neuberg reads her poem " The Beginning in My Hands ," and Mark J. Mitchell reads his poems " Secular Comedy " and " He Attempts to Explain His Religion ." All poems can be found in the Summer issue of our journal. Karen Neuberg is a Brooklyn, NY,-based poet. She is the author of the full-length poetry collection, PURSUIT (Kelsay Press, 2019) and the chapbook, the elephants are asking (Glass...

This episode features a contemplative prayer practice known as the "daily examen." Written by Vernée Wilkinson and Ted Wueste, and led by Rev. Mary Amendolia Gardner, " The Daily Examen for Living as an Anti-Racist Person " is published in the Contemplative Practice section of our Summer issue . This guided meditation lasts 10-15 minutes, with silences between steps. It is best listened to in a qu...

Rachel Grandey reads " Morning Anointing ," and James Owens reads " The Desert Prophets " and " Father to Son " -- all available in our journal's Summer issue . Rachel, originally from Northeast England, studied literature, linguistics, and anthropology before moving to Southeast Asia to teach English. She enjoys sea-gazing, bird-watching, tea-drinking, and early morning forest-exploring. Her prou...

Interviews Editor Emily Chambers Sharpe speaks with Edward A. Dougherty about the role of the imagination in the work of social justice; moral engagement as both a spiritual and a creative practice; and his most recent book, a collection of essays titled Journey Work: Crafting a Life of Poetry and Spirit (Apprentice House Press, March 2021). A transcript of this interview can also be found in our...

Poetry Editor Maggie Swofford reads " Rave Haiku " by Rose Knapp, and Gerard Sarnat reads his two poems, " Far Out Space Capsule Hygiene to Avoid Primal Screams " and " Mudita ." All of these poems can be found in our Summer issue . Rose Knapp (she/they) is a poet and electronic producer. She has publications in Lotus-Eater , Bombay Gin , BlazeVOX , Hotel Amerika , Fence Books , Obsidian , Gargoyl...

Nicole M. Roccas reads her essay, " A 'Slackness of the Soul': Finding Hope in the Existential Time Warp of Acedia ."  Nicole M. Roccas is an author and communications professional who writes on matters of faith and spiritual struggle. She lives in the Toronto area and has a PhD in History. Find her on Instagram ( @nicoleroccas ) and her website ( www.nicoleroccas.com ).

Laurie Klein reads " Eavesdropping on Absence ," and Matthew J. Andrews reads " Whole and Entire " from our Summer issue . Laurie Klein is the author of Where the Sky Opens (Poeima/Cascade). A multiple Pushcart nominee and Merton Prize-winner, she lives in the Pacific Northwest. You can see photos of the bowl that inspired Laurie's poem on Vita Poetica's Instagram account or Facebook page, and rea...

Our Reviews Editor, Lila Stiff, reads Cheryl Sadowski's piece, " On Temporal Tranquility ," a review of the book Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader's Guide to a More Tranquil Mind by Alan Jacobs. Cheryl Sadowski writes creative nonfiction from Northern Virginia, where she works in nonprofit management. Her writing explores memory, time, natural and cultural landscapes. Cheryl's work has appear...

Lauren K. Carlson reads two poems: " Prayer " and " God Not Only Did I Walk ." Lauren lives in northern lower Michigan and is the author of the chapbook Animals I Have Killed . A graduate of the Warren Wilson Program for Writers, you can find more of her work in Fatal Flaw Literary Magazine , Amethyst Review , Pirene's Fountain , and Pleiades: Literature in Context (among others). For more see www...

Jeannine Marie Pitas reads her nonfiction piece, " History Lessons ." Jeannine is a teacher, writer, and Spanish-English literary translator living in Iowa, where she teaches at the University of Dubuque. Her first poetry collection, Things Seen and Unseen , was published by Mosaic Press in 2019. Her favorite poets include Wislawa Szymborska, Zbigniew Herbert, and Delmira Agustini.

Introducing the Vita Poetica Journal Podcast