Tag: Poetry

Ep. 117 Vanishment

The multi-talented Judith Dorian joins me for a conversation about poetry, play, music, memory, and what’s worth holding onto. However, most of our conversation is about Judith’s new book Vanishment, which I consistently call the wrong name throughout the podcast. Judith has lived a fascinating life of creating art, researching the classical music canon, teaching piano, writing poetry, and living around the world. Buy Vanishment, come see Judith Dorian read her poetry at Riverstone Books in Squirrel Hill on January 14th, and buy her children’s book A Tiny Little Door because it’s wonderful.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ep 116 Man, I Don’t Know if Those Hummingbirds are Ever Gonna Get Here

For this episode, our most stalwart guest (Jason Baldinger) joins one of our favorite guests (James Benger) to talk about their new poetry collection Waiting on Hummingbirds, as well as James Benger’s new-ish book Floating Downstream. Through the course of our conversation we talk about poetic collaboration, old cars, and the perspective that comes when writing about youth in middle age.

You should attend the Zoom book launch for Waiting on Hummingbirds on Friday, December 6th at 8 PM Eastern Time, and buy the book from either James Benger’s Bandcamp Page or Jason Baldinger’s Bandcamp Page, and if you do, you get a bonus broadside.

You bet there’s swearin’.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ep 115 Hope Really Is a Prison

Rebecca Schumejda is an excellent narrative poet and editor of Trailer Park Quarterly. In this podcast we discuss her ekphrastic collaboration with old friend of the podcast Jason Baldinger. Hope is a Prison is a collection of photographs from a former prison and sanitarium while Rebecca’s poetry tells the story of the complicated life of Liberty, a child who has seen the worst of what this world has to offer. We also discuss her books Sentenced and Waiting at the Dead End Diner. If you like this podcast, be sure to tune into the Hope is a Prison Virtual Book Launch on November 15, 2024

I swear once, because I have to.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ep 113: John Dorsey is Really Good at Writing John Dorsey Poems

This episode is about a poet I try (and fail) at emulating. John Dorsey is profoundly prolific and prolific at being profound. He publishes on average 8 to 10 books a year. This includes his greatest hits collection from the last 3 years Holocaust Agave, the forthcoming Farewell Tour from Tangerine Press in the UK, and several titles from Spartan Press. He will also be soon appearing in the Literarium. He also does a subscription model which you can find out about on John’s Facebook. You can also find him on tour in March of 2024 at Mac’s Backs on Coventry in Cleveland and Daredevil Records in Niagara Falls, as well as many other things.

Seriously, just follow John Dorsey on Facebook to find out more.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ep 112 Renaissance Gem

Gem Fair does literally everything, from writing about music for Pitchfork, to making music as Space Buns Forever, drumming for Big Baby, Playing second bass for Larval State, and being the front man for Positive Thinking. Gem does it all, including some stuff we forgot, like being a ring announcer for Enjoy Wrestling. And like everyone one this podcast who practices in more than one medium, we go deep on what parts of the human brain get exorcise with each medium, as well as what it means to make art before the apocalypse. Finally, be sure to check out Gem’s podcast A Dog With a Mullet.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ep 111 American Aorta

Old friend Jason Baldinger is back with a new book and new conversation. Jason did a lot of reading from his new book American Aorta, and American Aorta comes with its own playlist! As always, Jason is super funny, engaging, and honest. Our conversation ranges from rust belt memories, travel, and the craft of poetry. Jason reads a poem about a famous Ben Shahn painting and many others. Catch Jason reading at the Poets Building Bridges Series on February 10, 2024.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ep 109 Miracles that Keep Charlie Brice Going

For this episode I sit down with Pittsburgh Poet Charlie Brice to talk about his 7th and soon to be 8th books. In the process we talk about the power of humor and the persistence of memory in poetry. Charlie’s book Miracles that Keep Me Going is out now, and the best way to purchase a copy is to get one from Charlie at charlie.brice[at]gmail[dot]com, or come to the Miracles that Keep Me Going Book Launch Party at Riverstone Books in Squirrel Hill.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ep. 106: This Still Life

We’re back from another unplanned, unannounced hiatus, and who knows, this could be the beginning of another one. Old friends Jason Baldinger and James Benger discuss their new split poetry collection This Still Life. In our discussion, we talk about what it means to work on a collection like this, James and Jason read, and during The Bottom 5, we accidentally discover while rock music is cool and so are lots of rock bands, a lot of folks who are in rock bands aren’t cool. You can buy This Still Life on James Benger’s Bandcamp Page. And you can get a bunch of other cool stuff on Jason Baldinger’s Bandcamp Page. You can hear James and Jason read at Swordfish Tom’s on Sunday, September 18, 2022.

As always, we swear.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ep. 104 The Slingshot Vignettes

Tony Burfield’s new collection of haibun poetry is a vivid recollection of a Northern Appalachian childhood. Burfield’s haibun poems capture two aspects of memory: the stories we tell and the emotional responses we feel. During our conversation we do a deep dive into the world of poetic form, the role of wilderness in his poetry, and why it’s good to have a little taste of primal fear in daily life. (And don’t worry, Tony explains what haibun is.) Buy Slingshot Vignettes from the big Borg book site, or contact Tony Burfield through his Twitter or Tony’s Instagram account, where you can see the Rockies.

And we swear.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Ep. 103: Tethered to the Unexpected

Dr. Roxana Cazan is a poet and professor who engages with the beauty and sadness of our human frailty. Her new collection of poems entitled Tethered to the Unexpected: Poetry about Illness explores death, birth, illness, motherhood, and what it means to be connected to people across continents. She reads some of her fabulous poems, and I find out what it feels like to give birth. Be sure to buy Tethered to the Unexpected, on Alien Buddha Press, and check out the stunning cover art by the Romanian artist AURA etc as well as AURA etc’s Instagram.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS