Rachel Zucker: The Pedestrians
Introduction, by Rachel Zucker I am frequently asked, “What does your husband think about these poems?” When students ask versions of this question their teachers seem embarrassed or upset, as if such a question inappropriately assumes that my work is autobiographical and that this assumption is unsophisticated. I’m not always sure how to answer the question, but I identify
D. Nurkse: Early Anthropocene
Plume: The closing line of the poem “Anthropocene”– published by the Virginia Quarterly Review in 2007- asks the question: Is there shelter in the blank page? Similarly, one could ask if humankind takes shelter in the start of its own “blank page,” in the continuous restart which is always the awareness of there being a new day, a next day,
Molly Lou Freeman: New Poems and Reflections from Shelter
By way of introduction to this month’s collaborative “Featured Selection,” per usual first a brief introductory essay by the poet, followed by the work itself, and some biographical material. Inner Geography on landscape, poetics and horsemanship A river is a useful image and metaphor—through line that it is—just as thought and one’s expression of thinking in writing is
Bruce Smith by Bruce Smith
By way of introduction to this month’s “Featured Selection,” first a brief introductory essay – or rather a self-interview by the poet – followed by the work itself, and concluding with some biographical material. Interview: Bruce Smith by Bruce Smith Interviewer: Why do you resist the interview? Author: I don’t like the interview as it has displaced criticism,
Denise Duhamel and Maureen Seaton: A POEM CYCLE
By way of introduction to this month’s collaborative “Featured Selection,” first a brief introductory essay by the poets themselves, followed by the work itself, and some biographical material. Maureen and Denise collaborated one poem at a time via email—Maureen from New Mexico, and Denise from Portugal. Both places were experiencing unusually high temps–and the poets were just trying to
Daniel Bourne: On Krzysztof Kuczkowski
By way of introduction to this month’s “Featured Selection,” first a brief introductory essay on Krzysztof Kuczkowski’s work by its present translator Daniel Bourne, followed by the work itself, and some biographical material. The Angel’s Share: Six Poems by Polish Poet Krzysztof Kuczkowski I start to write these words with a northern Polish downpour taking place outside the window,
Rachel Hadas: The Golden Road
By way of introduction to this month’s “Featured Selection,” first a brief appreciation of Rachel Hadas’s new book of poetry The Golden Road, from the NY Times Book Review, followed by an email interview with the poet conducted recently, the work itself, and some biographical material. The Golden Road Poems By Rachel Hadas. TriQuarterly/Northwestern University, $16.95. Hadas
Mark Irwin: Extracts from: Hyle: The fundamental question of poetry by Alain Borer
By way of introduction to this month’s “Featured Selection,” first some thoughts from Mark Irwin, followed by the work itself, and some biographical material. Introduction by Mark Irwin: The Poetic Thought of Alain Borer Perhaps the best introduction to Alain Borer’s view on poetry might be gleaned from a quote by Victor Hugo: “the true poet is not
Lawrence Matsuda and Tess Gallagher: Pow! Pow! Shalazam!
About the work: In the late summer of 2011 Tess Gallagher and Lawrence Matsuda were e-mailing each other while she was in her cottage in Ireland and he was at home in Seattle. The exchanges evolved into a series of nine poems. The collaboration was like a poetry jam session where they traded and borrowed images, ran riffs on each
Sarah Arvio: eleven poems from night thoughts: 70 dream poems & notes from an analysis
eleven poems from night thoughts: 70 dream poems & notes from an analysis from a word to the reader: night thoughts is an exploration of the dreaming mind. It is also an intimate memoir, describing the evolution of a psychoanalysis and the events that gave rise to that treatment. It gives the reader a set of dream poems, then notes
