Tagged: poetry

Poems of Jawdat Fakhreddine

I’m grateful to Huda Fakhreddine the gift she made of “Lighthouse for the Drowning,” poems by Jawdat Fakhreddine (her father) as translated by herself and Jayson Iwen. “Now when I meet [this poem] in a book / from time to time, / it beckons to me like a prisoner, /...

The “First Readings” commentary series

Have you checked out the commentary series I co-edit with Brian Reed* and Craig Dworkin? It’s called “First Readings.” We ask five critics & poet-critics to write up short initial responses to a supposedly “difficult” poem: https://jacket2.org/commentary/first-readings . * ModPo’ers will remember Brian’s terrific essay about Caroline Bergvall’s “VIA” we read...

Anna Maria Hong’s Trump poem

In April 2016 Anna Maria Hong gave a reading at the Kelly Writers House. One of the poems she read was “Plain As Him.” She introduced by telling us that it is about Donald Trump and also the U.S. women’s soccer team. Thanks to the video editing work of Dylan...

Naomi Replansky resources

Back in November 2016 I had the honor of presenting the 99-year-old poet Naomi Replansky at Kelly Writers House. Here I’ve selected three photos from the many taken during her visit. Click on a photo for a larger view.  I am also and pleased to offer links to various Replansky...

Philly’s youth poet laureate

Otter Jung-Allen, Philadelphia’s Youth Poet Laureate, performs a poem called “Praise,” about their father. Otter Jung-Allen is a seventeen-year-old genderqueer poet and performer from West Philly. They are the coach of Science Leadership Academy’s Slam League team, a 2015 Brave New Voices International Champion, the 2015 Liberty Unplugged Champion, and the...

Joanne Kyger (November 19, 1934 – March 22, 2017)

The great poet Joanne Kyger passed yesterday. I had the honor of hosting an on-location episode of PoemTalk a few months ago not far from her home in Bolinas, California. You can hear that conversation here. That afternoon was brilliant: a late summer day, clear skies, the mesa field behind...

T. de los Reyes’s poetry postcards

Here are two of the many poetry postcards made for us by T. de los Reyes of Manila. T. has been a ModPo regular since 2012 and has served the community brilliantly as a Community TA (CTA) for five years. Click on either image for a larger view.

Peter Cole’s new book

I was excited and pleased to receive yesterday an advance copy of Peter Cole’s new book, New & Selected Poems & Translations.

Nathaniel Mackey visits Kelly Writers House, day 1

Nathaniel Mackey is here as a Kelly Writers House Fellow for several days. Yesterday he joined me and the students in the Kelly Writers House Fellows seminar for an intense three-hour conversation about his work and much else. In the evening he gave a spectacular reading from his work —...