Rumpus contributor Michael Berger only just learned about Harold Norse, on June 8th; sadly, that was the day Norse died. Here’s a tribute page, and a page where Glenn Ingersoll takes off on a Norse poem.

Mark Doty is spending an awful lot of time in a New Orleans zoo.

The June issue of Poetry has a beautiful essay by Tom Sleigh, about his memories of Thom Gunn.

Is slam poetry keeping it real, or getting soft in the middle? The New York Times attempts to determine the answer.

Brian quoted from this not too long ago; it’s kind of silly but worth a longer look: Poets Ranked by Beard Weight.