Arlington Literary Journal Publishes New Katherine E. Young Poem "If There is a Hell" The former Poet Laureate of Arlington's new poem asks and answers the question if there was a hell, what would it look, feel, smell and taste like? The latest poem by former Arlington Laureate in the Arlington Literary Journal comes direct from the pages of Young's forthcoming collection, Woman Drinking Absinthe. Previously published in Tampa Review, "If There is a Hell" has been making the rounds as a teaser for the collection to come. Katherine E. Young recently read her poem "Women's Work" … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri Interviews Poetry Superstar Ocean Vuong Grace Cavalieri kicks off the new year and a new season of "The Poet and The Poem" with an interview of poetry superstar Ocean Vuong. From her website: "Ocean Vuong is the author of The New York Times bestselling novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, out from Penguin Press (2019) and forthcoming in 30 languages. A recipient of a 2019 MacArthur "Genius" Grant, he is also the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds, a New York Times Top 10 Book of 2016, winner of … [Read more...]

Katherine E. Young Describes Writing of Occasional Poem "Women's Work" for Swearing-In of Libby Garvey "What I found was: almost nothing. In fact, I discovered very few recent poems about public service or public servants in general, and no poems celebrating women in public service." by Katherine E. Young Soon after I was appointed Arlington County's first poet laureate in 2016, I got a phone call: could I please find a poem to read at the swearing in ceremony for County Board Member Libby Garvey? I dutifully pulled up various databases of poets and poetry, ran online searches, and … [Read more...]

Reuben Jackson Makes Banshee Press' 2020 Best Short Readings List Jackson's poetry cycle, "Kelly's Love for Waltzes" (published by Boston Review) is chosen by Jaydn Dewald for the year-end list. THIS YEAR, the Irish publisher, Banshee Press, asked its editors and contributors to pick "their favourite shorter reads of the year." Poet, Jaydn Dewald, whose work has appeared in Banshee and numerous other journals, chose Reuben Jackson's poetry cycle "Kelly's Love for Waltzes" for the list. The cycle was originally published by Boston Review and includes poems that utilize a waltz-like … [Read more...]

John Doe of Band X Recalls his Time Studying Under Grace Cavalieri at Antioch The punk-rocker, like so many others, discovered poetry through Grace Cavalieri. She offers some sound advice for aspiring readers. John Doe, California punk-rocker of the band X shares a common trait with so many Maryland and D.C. poets: he discovered poetry through Grace Cavalieri. While Grace has introduced countless readers to poetry through her original work, it was in Grace's class at Antioch that Doe discovered the "current" poets whose vernacular was similar to his own. In an article from The Tampa … [Read more...]

WRITTEN IN ARLINGTON, Katherine E. Young Edits Exciting New Anthology of Poetry The former Poet Laureate of Arlington, VA, Katherine E. Young, curates this collection of contemporary poetry which shines a light on singular art from outside the big city. From the book: Written in Arlington showcases contemporary poets from and poetry about Arlington, VA. The anthology, edited by Katherine E. Young and published by Paycock Press, contains the work of eighty-seven poets and translators originally written in four languages (Hindi, Russian, Spanish, and English). The poets whose work … [Read more...]

Selected Lucille Clifton and Henry Taylor Reviewed by Rose Solari This edition of Solari's review column for The Washington Independent Review of Books tackles new selected editions of the poetry of Lucille Clifton and Henry Taylor In her latest review column, Rose Solari tackles the selected poetry of two stalwarts of American letters, Lucille Clifton and Henry Taylor. Solari looks at the continuing legacy of the late Clifton and a Taylor who has chosen the Winnebago over the academy. Rose Solari keeps a regular poetry review column on The Washington Independent Review of Books' … [Read more...]

"Necromancy Never Pays" Features Rose Solari Poem The unique literary blog from writer Jeanne Griggs features Solari's "Somewhere Between Four and Five A.M." Blogger and English PhD, Jeanne Griggs, discovers a gem while sorting her bookshelves. Reading as she sorts, "because, you know, that's why we keep these books, so we can dip into them whenever we want to," Griggs picks out a thin volume with deckled edges and French folds: The Last Girl by Rose Solari, a poet friend from graduate school. The Last Girl is Solari's third collection of poetry after Orpheus in the … [Read more...]

Hazen Featured in New Article: "Baltimore: Great Poets Live Here" Poet, Elizabeth Hazen, and her second collection, Girls Like Us, are featured in this Fishbowl article exploring the poets of Baltimore Elizabeth Hazen reads from her collection "Girls Like Us" at Baltimore's Atomic Books Poet, Elizabeth Hazen, is featured alongside other notable names in the Baltimore literary scene such as Dora Malech and Steven Leyva in this extolling article from Baltimore Fishbowl writer Jennie Hann. Elizabeth Hazen, who has written several essays for the Fishbowl, released her latest … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri Interviews Slam Poet Star, Mecca Verdell The Maryland Poet Laureate talks youth, fearlessness, and colorism with slam poet, Mecca Verdell In this new episode of Grace Cavalieri's The Poet and the Poem, the Poet Laureate sits down with 23 year-old Baltimore slam poet, Mecca Verdell, who just recently published her first collection of poems. Grace and Mecca talk colorism, youth, and fearlessness in this 30-minute long interview which includes a handful of poems which Mecca delivers in a slam performance style. Grace, awed by Mecca's delivery and poetic voice, pronounces … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri Explores “The Exquisite Singularity of Louise Glück” in new Essay Grace Cavalieri celebrates the life and work of the Nobel Prize winner in this new essay published by The Washington Independent Review of Books Grace Cavalieri's newest essay from the Washington Independent Review of Books explores the enigmatic poet, former Poet Laureate, and recent Nobel Prize winner, Louise Glück. Like so many other Poets Laureate, Glück appeared on Grace's podcast, The Poet and the Poem. You can read a transcript of that interview HERE. An excerpt of Grace's essay is below. Read the … [Read more...]

"As if to Remind Us of Everything" Recited by Actor Steve Hay Mark A. Pritchard directs this jaw-dropping performance of Rose Solari's "As if to Remind Us of Everything" by Scottish actor Steve Hay. "As if to Remind Us of Everything" appears in Solari's second collection of poems Orpheus in the Park. Orpheus in the park by Rose Solari Mark A. Pritchard Steve Hay Rose Solari’s second full-length collection of poems is made up of two different yet intertwining strands. In one, Solari explores a variety of myths, climbing beneath the skin of classical heroes and villains to … [Read more...]

TEASER - Actor Steve Hay Recites Rose Solari's “As if to Remind Us of Everything” Below is a teaser for the video which sees actor Steve Hay reciting Rose Solari's "As if to Remind Us of Everything." Full video releases SEPT 30 on alansquirepublishing.com and facebook Follow the ASP Facebook Page for Updates Purchase Orpheus in the Park More from Steve Hay and Mark Pritchard … [Read more...]

Joanna Biggar Shares Two Poems that Speak to Now These poems by Bertalicia Peralta and A.E. Stallings "both shine light on troubling places in this aching world." Joanna Biggar shares two poems she came upon recently that speak to the times. The first, by Panamanian poet Bertalicia Peralta "illuminates the power of love in a powerful woman." The second, by A. E. Stallings, "After a Greek Proverb," "reminds us of the harrowing plight of millions of refugees and their forced marches from home." This is the Biggar's first blog post following the death of the beloved women's liberation … [Read more...]

Katherine E. Young Breaks Down Her New Translation of LOOK AT HIM by Anna Starobinets Katherine E. Young appears on Leslie Pietrzyk "To be Read" blog series to discuss her new translation of a book that "ignited a firestorm" in Russia Former Arlington Poet Laureate, Katherine E. Young, describes the trials of translating a controversial and beautiful Russian memoir in this written interview conducted by author Leslie Pietrzyk. Read an excerpt below, or read the entire interview here. And attend the book release for Look at Him here. Katherine E. Young's new original collection of … [Read more...]

Challenge and Ambition: Rose Solari Releases new Poetry Reviews for WIRoB Rose Solari's reviews this month focus on four collections that "challenge and stretch the reader’s expectations in terms of content, form, or both." Rose Solari's reviews this month concern books that "challenge and stretch the reader’s expectations in terms of content, form, or both." This includes Charlotte Pence's vitalizing Code with its centerfold poem written entirely in DNA, Kelvin Corcoran's The Republic of Song with its tributes to the scholar and poet Lee Harwood, Lauren Camp's soft poems … [Read more...]

Rose Solari Joins in a Dickinson Tradition at this Year’s Tell it Slant Festival For the first time, Tell it Slant Festival is going digital. Make sure you catch the final days of the Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon. While the Emily Dickinson poetry marathon is not a marathon in the traditional sense, it does test the endurance, fortitude, and preparedness of all its participants. Over a seven day period, 14 hours in all, participants will read every one of the enigmatic 19th-century poet's 1,789 poems in the order prescribed by R.W. Franklin's The Poems of Emily … [Read more...]

A Stirring Tribute: Carmen Nickerson reads Solari’s “Meditation for my Country” During 9/11 Concert Singer-songwriter Carmen Nickerson delivers a touching performance of Rose Solari's poem during her No Studios unplugged session Accomplished singer-songwriter Carmen Nickerson and pianist Kostia Efimov provide an intimate, acoustic set as part of the No Studios unplugged series.  At approximately 42 minutes into the set, Nickerson pauses to acknowledge the date - September 11th - and pulls out a sheet of paper. The poem she reads is Rose Solari's "Meditation for my … [Read more...]

Grace Cavalieri Releases New Podcast with Jeffrey Lamar Coleman Coleman is a professor of English at St. Mary's College of Maryland. He is the editor of Words of Protest, Words of Freedom: Poetry of the American Civil Rights Movement and Era (Duke University Press) and author of Spirits Distilled: Poems (Red Hen Press). Grace Cavalieri's new series on the poets of Maryland, for which she was recently funded by Maryland Humanities, is off to a strong and engaging start. This week's guest, professor of English, Jeffrey Lamar Coleman, is the editor of Words of Protest, Words of … [Read more...]

Former Student Describes Reuben Jackson’s Jazz-infused Poetry Class “I’m going to play you some John Coltrane,” he said, his voice serious, soft-spoken. “Some people say Coltrane sounds like a bunch of salad,” he continued, “but it’s all in the way he mixes it.” He pressed “PLAY” and told us to write what came to mind. Miles Liss, who recently graduated with an MFA in poetry from Vermont College of Fine Arts, reflects on his time taking classes under maestro Reuben Jackson in this short essay. You can read the whole thing on Past-Ten here. Read Reuben's poetry here. In the essay, … [Read more...]