“What one cannot compute, one must poetize,” concludes a new interdisciplinary study of poetry, “Poetry and Mind: Tractatus Poetico-Philosophicus,” by Laurent Dubreuil, professor of comparative literature and Romance studies, and a member of the cognitive science program. While not a direct sequel to Dubreuil’s previous book, “The Intellective Space,” his new work shows how we … Continue reading New book analyzes poetry across the world (via Cornell Chronicle)
Click here to watch the video for Hummingbirds in the Trenches. Society begs us to pull up our bootstraps and fly to Venus / But when you keep us padlocked to trenches / It ain’t easy to show our genius. That’s Kondwani Fidel, a celebrated spoken-word poet from Baltimore, rapping about his experience growing up … Continue reading The Poetry of America’s Most Dangerous City (via The Atlantic)
Something curious has been happening in the world of books as of late: more and more people are reading poetry. There are a host of explanations as to why this might be happening, but among them is a kind of clarity. At a point in time when complex sociopolitical issues are omnipresent, the right poem might help … Continue reading 11 Books Where Poetry and Politics Overlap (via Signature)
Poetry is boring. And difficult. At least that’s what Journie Rodriguez thought at the beginning of the just-completed school year. By the end of the school year, however, the King Elementary fifth-grader had changed her mind. Her English class took part in Poetry Paths, a program that teaches students in the School District of Lancaster … Continue reading Poetry program helps Lancaster students express themselves (via Lancaster Online)
In half a decade, the number of U.S. adults who are reading poetry has nearly doubled. That's according to the results of a new survey by the National Endowment for the Arts, which announced Thursday that "as a share of the total U.S. adult population, this poetry readership is the highest on record over a … Continue reading Poetry Is Making A Big Comeback In The U.S., Survey Results Reveal (via NPR)
Full Title: "Celebrating poetry in its mass-market moment ahead of 2018 Griffin Prize gala" “Poets are among the hardest working writers,” says Kevin Williams, who would know first-hand: As the publisher of Talonbooks, he’s worked with 2017 Griffin Poetry Prize-winner Jordan Abel and 2018 nominee Donato Mancini and is familiar with the challenges faced by … Continue reading Celebrating poetry ahead of 2018 Griffin Prize gala (via Globe and Mail)
Acclaimed memoirist Mary Karr has just published "Tropic of Squalor," a new collection of poetry. Included in the collection are poems about her family, her relationship with God and David Foster Wallace, with whom she had an abusive relationship. Interview Highlights On her volatile relationship with David Foster Wallace "I had a relationship, he had the volatile … Continue reading Memoirist Mary Karr On God, Poetry And Her Own #MeToo Moments (via WBUR)
Most people his age would never guess that the buoyant, friendly Kendall Patterson they brush past on campus is likely walking around with a notebook full of handwritten poetry exploring feelings of depression and loneliness. Patterson’s poetry is honest. His words are brave and unashamed of the attention they may bring him. Whether writing lines … Continue reading ‘Dear Kendall’: Student self-publishes deeply personal poetry collection (via Daily Mississippian)
Full Title: "‘Blindspotting’s Daveed Diggs And Rafael Casal’s Spoken Word Performance Honors Victims Of Police Violence" Click here to watch video. Diggs and Casal wax poetic about police violence and from the beginning recite the names of victims that have made headlines such as Freddie Gray, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland and many others. Passionate and … Continue reading Spoken Word Performance Honors Victims Of Police Violence (via Deadline)
Full Title: "Where does music end and poetry begin? David Grubbs wrote his first poem to find out (via Washington Post)" “Now that the audience is assembled,” a new book-length poem by musician David Grubbs, reminds us that listening can feel stranger than dreaming. The poem is a real-time report from an imaginary concert where … Continue reading Where does music end and poetry begin? (via Washington Post)
