poetry
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A New Babel
These poems by Kazim Ali are gorgeous, each phrase a breath of prayer, the words presented as humbling offerings, each one a deep bow.
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Shara Lessley: A Poem I Love
Editors Note: In honor of National Poetry Month, The Rumpus has asked writers to provide us with poems they love, and the reasons why. We’re also including links to these poems in their entirety. We’ll be doing this all month.…
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Be Knocked Flat
Poetry readings are notorious for putting audiences to sleep. Which is why Poems Out Loud‘s devotion to the notion of experiencing poetry read aloud—and read well—is so thrilling. The site was inspired by Robert Pinksy’s just-published book Essential Pleasures: A…
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How Not to Lie
Alexei Tsvetkov calls Prague “a place where you wait for something to happen.” It’s from there he wrote this dispatch on the occasion of his recent (somewhat permanent) departure. It’s a meandering, dreamy piece drifting between nostalgia and a hard-nosed…
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Poems for an Economic Collapse
Katy Lederer’s poems are both romantic and political in nature. With their attention to formal and lyrical concerns, these poems tackle the problems of desire when it coincides with money and passion.
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A Questioning Faith
A Review of Dan Albergotti’s The Boatloads I have a special place in my heart for literature that juxtaposes the sacred and profane, that challenges perhaps the most successful meme ever to spring from the human brain: the belief that…
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Poetic Lives Online
Mark Scroggins of Culture Industry spent last weekend Zukofsky-ing in Sussex, and has both a rundown and photos. Jeff Hilson provides further photographic commentary. Odali$qued provides some notes toward a provisional avant-garde. I especially like the part about genitalia being…
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Poetic Lives Online: Random Poetry Links by Brian Spears
Oh, the things I’ve learned since I started doing this little column, the arguments I’ve lurked through, the long-winded defenses of one’s aesthetic choices, et cetera, et cetera. And I’m pulling out the fab stuff just for you. Martin Earl’s…
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Faint Praise for “Praise Song”
As a poet, I appreciate the gesture made toward the arts when the President-elect asks a poet to present a work at his or her inauguration.
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Poetry Shakedown
Kay Ryan’s tarot cards, the return of the rhyme, Mennonite matriarchs, Mao’s poems, Women’s Work, and Blago’s versification
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The Suicide Kings Slay ‘Em
It’s awesome when a competitive poetry event elevates itself to what the art can be. If you’ve ever had the privilege of seeing Jamie DeWolf, Geoff Trenchard, or Rupert Estanislao rock the mic,