Even as a young child, James Reiss was drawn to such poets as Homer, Dante, Spenser, Milton and Keats, whom he described as “devoted to narration.” As a poet and later a novelist, Mr. Reiss was also devoted to narration, to the point that former California Poet Laureate Carol Muske-Dukes described him as “a committed … Continue reading Poet and novelist believed in the power of narration (via Chicago Sun Times)
It's a real challenge to talk about mental health issues and challenges — even more so when you're young, when you feel like an "other." Marcel Price is tackling that challenge through poetry and spoken word. As "Fable The Poet,” this young Michigander writes about mental wellness. And in his work with Mental Health America, he's traveling to high … Continue reading When it comes to mental wellness, spoken-word poet says, “There’s no one way to be.” (via Michigan Radio)
Full Title: Native poet speaks the language of Standing Rock — and explains how a presidential apology falls short When poet Layli Long Soldier heard news over the weekend that the government was halting the Dakota Access Pipeline project, she was elated. “I was astonished and excited,” said Long Soldier, who hasn’t been to the … Continue reading Native poet speaks the language of Standing Rock (via PBS)
“If I write any frequently, it is because you pals inspire me to do so,” Kenyan poet Redscar McOdindo once said. “If I like sharing, it is because you pals deserve all that is mine and much more. I’ll try and keep it up (if it is any good) and better still, share more frequently … Continue reading A red scar on African poetry: Anatomy of a serial plagiarist (via African Arguments)
Poetry enthusiasts will soon find a new place to fulfill their creative desires with the installation of a Telepoem Booth in downtown State College. Set to open this spring, the Telepoem Booth is an interactive arts exhibition that merges old-fashioned rotary phone technology with various types of poetry, John Ziegler, one of the directors of … Continue reading Telepoem Booth brings poetry exhibition to State College (via Daily Collegian)
"The BBC makes the best radio in the world," says Director-General Tony Hall. British public broadcaster BBC plans to launch a "Netflix of the spoken word" to take its radio content beyond the U.K. Director-General Tony Hall in a London speech Wednesday said that the BBC plans to offer all of its audio content, in … Continue reading BBC Planning “Netflix of the Spoken Word” to Take Radio Content Global (via The Hollywood Reporter)
Clint Smith is the 2014 National Poetry Slam champion and has given popular TED Talks on living as an African-American man in the United States. Earlier this fall he published his first book of poetry, "Counting Descent." He joins Here & Now's Robin Young to talk about the book. On what sparked his interest in … Continue reading Through Poetry And TED Talks, Clint Smith Probes Racism In America (via WBUR)
If you’re not an Instagrammer you may never have heard of Rupi Kaur. In fact, if you’re not a young female Instagrammer, then your chances are probably even slimmer. And yet, with almost 750,000 Instagram followers and more than half a million copies of her debut poetry collection, Milk and Honey, sold worldwide, Kaur is … Continue reading Verse goes viral: how young feminist writers are reclaiming poetry for the digital age (via Guardian)
"The Last Poets are the microcosm of black America,” said Umar Bin Hassan, one of the founding members of the group, when I first met him in Harlem, New York, a decade ago. And he’s right: the turbulent and sometimes violent history of this legendary group of African American men who became famous worldwide in … Continue reading The Last Poets: America in poetry from black power to Black Lives Matter (via Guardian)
Blackacre By Monica Youn (Graywolf) In this collection, titled after the legal term for a hypothetical piece of land, Youn, a former lawyer, constructs subtle arguments about desire and loss, including her own inability to have a child. What readers might notice first is the sparseness of her opening section, in which every word is … Continue reading Best poetry collections of 2016 (via Washington Post)
