The Poetry Space_

What makes certain poems more welcoming to a reader? Should poems be accessible? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, joined by special guest George Bilgere, one of the most hospitable poets alive.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

George Bilgere

Dick Westheimer

Nate Jacob

Joe Barca

Haibun might be the most exciting form being written today. It seems not too long ago that haibun was just journal entries that included haiku. Over the last decade, poets have begun pushing the form past those old bounds. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, joined by two of the premiere haibun explorers, Kat Lehmann and Roberta Beary.

At the Table

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Kat Lehmann

Roberta Beary

Dick Westheimer

Brian O'Sullivan

With Voltas in hand, Katie and Tim set out to re-explore bad poems. The first victims? Themselves! On this date night, no one is safe from honest criticism.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Let's think outside the literary box! It's a big world, and there's no reason to limit our poems to lit mags. Why not publish on billboards and sidewalks and bars of soap? There are thousands of other magazines newspapers with big circulations that might publish poems too. Katie, Tim, and friends explore, joined by Nate Jacob, who made a column for his poems in his local newspaper, Jennifer Reeser, who regularly publishes poems in the National Review, and Jeannine Hall Gailey, who has published widely in places like LA Weekly and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Nate Jacob

Jennifer Reeser

Jeannine Hall Gailey

Dick Westheimer

Brian O'Sullivan

What better way to spend a Friday night than on a date discussing how to write a poem? This week Timothy Green and Katie Dozier tackle what makes poems reach the top level of poetry submissions, while having almost too much fun in the process.

Poetry is the music of speech, and the original music of speech is meter. What is meter, anyway? How can you learn to dance with two left feet? Katie, Tim and friends discuss the art of the beat, joined by special guest Boris Dralyuk, formalist and author of My Hollywood.

Wisława Szymborska won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996. Living through WWII and communist Poland, she was known for her use of irony and wit in deceptively simple poems detail domestic life against the backdrop of history. This week, Katie, Tim, and friend take a closer look at her life and poetry, joined by special guest Manuel Iris, whose own work is particularly informed by hers.

At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Manuel Iris Dick Westheimer

Joe Barca

What do you think of when you think of summer? And how do poems capture that? This week, Katie, Tim, and friends find their summer vibe along with special guests Nate Jacob and Sharon Ferrante, sharing a cooler of poems along the way.

At the picnic table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Nate Jacob

Sharon Ferrante

Joe Barca

Brian O'Sullivan

Dick Westheimer

Writing poems is only half the battle—performing poems is still an important aspect of sharing the work (and selling books!). Katie, Tim, and friends are joined by slam legend Taylor Mali to discuss the art of presenting poems, reading a few of his own and sharing some hilarious stories along the way.

At the table

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Taylor Mali

Brian O'Sullivan

Dick Westheimer

Joe Barca

There's a certain type of poem Tim calls the "Classic Rattle Poem." Even as the magazine has become more eclectic over the years, it's always stayed in touch with its accessible narrative roots. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss this style of "front porch poetry," with the authors of three great examples.

At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Tony Gloeggler

Cindy Guentherman

Joe Barca

Dick Westheimer

Brian O'Sullivan

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery—but it's also a learning tool and a lot of fun. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the art of adopting another poets voice, joined by award-winning formalist and ventriloquist A.M. Juster, author of The Billy Collins Experience. Along the way, we share some other great poems mimicking Wallace Stevens, Kay Ryan, Bob Dylan, and more.

At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

A.M. Juster

Dick Westheimer

Joe Barca

It's always better when we're together! This week's collaborative space discusses the art of collaboration. Katie, Tim & friends are joined by Nicole Tallman, who began collaborating on poetry with the late great Maureen Seaton, and has made collaborative poetry a focus of her work as poetry ambassador of Miami, sharing co-written poems in the process.

At the Table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Nicole Tallman

Brian O'Sullivan

Joe Barca

Dick Westheimer

Billy Collins has long been called the most popular poet in America, which makes him a divisive figure among poets. Is it just envy? Katie, Tim, and friends take a deep dive into his trademark wit and renowned accessibility to see what makes his poems tick—joined by special guests Gwendolyn Soper and Attracta Fahy.

Around the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Gwendolyn Soper

Attracta Fahy

Dick Westheimer

Brian O'Sullivan

Joe Barca

Ekfa-what?! From the Greek word for "description," ekphrastic poetry was originally just that—poems that painted artwork into words. Over time, though, it's become it's own genre of using art as inspiration. Katie, Tim and friends discuss, joined by special guest and six-time winner of Rattle's Ekphrastic Challenge, Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco.

Around the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Elizabeth McMunn-Tetangco

Dick Westheimer

Joe Barca

Brian O'Sullivan

Under the influence of Lemmys™, Katie and Tim go on a date, exploring the meaning of verse and what led them both to making space for poetry in their lives.

Wendy Videlock joins the space as Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the dance in the mouth that are the sounds of poetry. Wendy shares several poems and talks about rhyme and repetition in the process of creation. At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Wendy Videlock

Joe Barca

Brian O'Sullivan

Dick Westheimer

Bob Hicok joins the space as Katie, Tim, and friends discuss that trance-like hypnotic state of being in the zone while writing a poem. This is the meditative space we all seek as writers—what is it, and how do we get there?

At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Bob Hicok

Erik Campbell

Brian O'Sullivan

Dick Westheimer

Joe Barca

Dating back to the 12th century, the sestina is one of poetry's knottiest forms, repeating 6 words 7 times in 39 lines. Katie, Tim, and friends wrestle with repetition as they discuss the form with successful sestina wranglers Kathleen McClung and Rebecca Snow, sharing some great poems along the way.

Abby E. Murray won 2024 Neil Postman Award for Metaphor for her poem "Supermoon." But who was Neil Postman, and where did this award come from? Katie, Tim, and friends are joined by Abby Murray and Erik Campbell, who conceived of the award way back in 2004.

At the table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Erik Campbell

Abby E. Murray

Dick Westheimer

Brian O'Sullivan

Joe Barca

A poem is never finished, only abandoned, according to Paul Valéry—but how do we go about re-visioning a poem to make the most out of its potential? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, along with special guests Christine Potter and Nicole Caruso Garcia.

Today's table:

Katie Dozier

Timothy Green

Christine Potter

Dick Westheimer

Nicole Caruso Garcia

Brian O'Sullivan

Joe Barca

A few episodes back, we looked at submissions from the editor's perspective—this week, we take a look at the other side of the aisle. Katie and Tim are joined by special guests Jeannine Hall Gailey, Bethany Jarmul, Joe Barca, Brian O'Sullivan, and Tom Barlow to talk about how to go about submitting poems for publication.

How do we classify different types of poems? What makes a form fit into a definition and does it matter? In response to some recent, minor controversies in the poetry world, Katie, Tim and friends discuss what makes a haiku a haiku and what makes a sonnet a sonnet—as always, sharing great examples along the way.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Katie, Tim, and crew talk about love poems! What's the heart of a love poem and what makes it tick? The Poetry Space_ discussed this topic a year ago, but this time we dig a little deeper.

Hard or soft, accidental or intentional, plagiarism is always lurking in the shadows of the literary world. The recent exposure of a prolific plagiarist makes the topic timely. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss all with two of the victims, and then go deeper into anxiety of influence and deja-ku—sharing some poems along the way, as always.

Walt Whitman is the father of contemporary poetry, opening the door for a poetry of the self, the body, the ordinary. He had big ambitions and, for the most part, fulfilled them. Katie, Tim and friends discuss Uncle Walt. Do the poems live up to the legacy?

Let's talk about turns—shifts in the apparent direction of a poem. Sonnets formalize turns with the concept of the volta, but most of the best poems have turns of some kind … do they all? What is a turn, and how are they made? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, and turn toward some great examples along the way!

Submissions are the heart of the traditional poetry world. What's it like to read them? What's the best way to submit them? Why do we call them submissions in the first place? Katie and Tim are joined by Mark Danowski of One Art, Roberta Beary of Modern Haiku, and other friends to talk about it all.

What the heck is a chapbook? How do you make them? Why would you? And what makes a Rattle Chapbook Prize winner? Katie, Tim and friends answer all your question, along with a special guest appearance by Michael Mark, who shared poems from his award-winning chapbook, Visiting Her in Queens Is More Enlightening than a Month in a Monastery in Tibet.

Weddings, funerals, inaugurations—public events are the places most people encounter poems. This week, Katie, Tim, and friends take a look occasional poems, reading some by Ada Limon, W.H. Auden, and more along the way. How do they work, and how are they different from what we usually write and share?

After last week's discussion about the need for more poetry criticism, we tried to practice what we preach, taking a careful look at contemporary poems. What is it that makes a good poem great? Katie, Tim and friends discuss, and read four poems in the process: Dick Westheimer's "In Kherson …," Maggie Smith's "Good Bones," Dorianne Laux's "Moon Ghazal," and Noor Hindi's "F- Your Lecture on Craft …."

Poetry criticism: Is there even such a thing, anymore? It seems like William Logan is the last poetry critic willing to take his gloves off and entertain us with strong opinions. But some call him a "serial skewer" and a "pompous ass." Is this kind of criticism harmful or good for poetry? On the other end of the spectrum is the book blurb review, in which friends and colleagues heap on the praise like frosting on cherpumple. Unfortunately there isn't much in between. Why is that? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss!

Just in time for Thanksgiving, this episode features an open mic for poems on gratitude. Katie, Tim and friends share their favorite thankful poems and some of their own, including poems by Mary Oliver, George Bilgere, and more.

The ghazal is one of the most powerful forms of poetry, but also one of the most misunderstood, and it's history and adoption into English feels surprisingly similar to that of haiku. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss form that's been flourishing in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu for almost a thousand years—joined by special guests Shannan Mann and Karan Kapoor.

As Sharon Olds says, "There's not a bad poet in the first grade." Whether the poems are light or heavy, the heart of poetry is a sense of play. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss what it takes to write like a child, sharing some great poems along the way, and joined by especially playful poets Katie Kemple and Doodleslice.

Edgar Allan Poe was a master of the macabre, but also a brilliant metricist, critic, and thinker. Katie, Tim, and friends, including scholar Omer Faruk Karasahan, discuss the legend and the legacy of Poe and his moment in literary history.

As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This week, Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the crucial beginnings of poems, sharing many examples in the process. Attention is the currency of the information age—there are so many other places we could be spending our time than even a short poem. The first line needs to let a reader know the ride will be worth it.

Is it possible to write a bad poem? What would it mean for a poem to be good? Should we even talk this way? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss passing judgment on poems, and read some of the worst poems in history in the process.

I’m Nobody. Who are you? This week we take a close look at the loaded gun that is Emily Dickinson, one of the most influential poets in history. Gwendolyn Soper joins Katie, Tim, and friends to talk about queen of the em-dash and the way she changed the poetry world. As always, great poems abound!

From the big twist to the soft landing, there are 1,000 ways to end a poem. This week, Katie, Tim, and Friends talk about all the things that make a last line sing—sharing a rich selection of favorites along the way.

We meant to talk about poetry contests in general, but ended up spending almost the entire time on the Rattle Poetry Prize. It's behind the scenes with the editor! Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the ethics of poetry contests.

Let's discuss the ways we generate poems. Katie is the Prompt Poem of the Month editor for Rattle and just published her first selection, a senryu series about cooking. We discuss writing prompts and share some of the poems they've inspired.

Poetry was the first digital technology—storytelling through the repetition of sound and rhythm is the foundation of human development. This week, we discuss metrical poetry: why does it work? how does it work? how should we talk about it? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss it all, and share some unforgettable formal poems in the process.

A title is the doorway into a poem, and the way store it in the catalogues of our memory. What makes a good title? What makes a bad title? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss titles from every angle, and work at live-titling one of Katie's poems in the process.

Let's tackle the touchy subject: money! There's little money in poetry, but poetry is endlessly valuable. What does it all mean? From MFA programs to NFTs, Katie, Tim, and friends discuss it all, and share a few priceless poems in the process.

Let's talk about our favorite thing—favorite poems! Katie, Tim, and friends share their personal favorites, and talk about what makes that so. We share poems by Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Ada Limon, Billy Collins, David Kirby, Julie Kane, E.E. Cummings and more in the process.

Every poet knows the feeling of rejection. That's the game we play when we send our work out into the world. This week, Katie, Tim & friends talk about rejection, rejection letters, how to react, and more, while sharing a pair of rejection-inspired poems.

Poetry book sales are dismal—so why publish poetry books at all? And if we do still have good reasons, how do we make the most of those goals beyond the numbers? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, along with special guests Amelie Lasker of Alexandria Labs and Justin Tagg of Hyperreal Films.

With Tim on a plane, Katie flew solo for our first official open mic! Joe Barca, Oddwritings, Attracta Fahy, Sylvie Bax, and Doodleslice were among the poets who shared work in a lively and inspiring hour of poetry.

We tackle a tiny but important detail on this week's space—where to break our lines. Enjambment is a key part of keeping poetry interesting to read. Katie, Tim, and friends discuss how to break a line, paraprodek ... paraprod ... paraprose—whatever, just listen—using many examples from poems.

On the heels of the Haiku North America conference we talk about haibun—a scaled up model of the jumps in haiku. What is the form and how does it work? We talk to Dave Bonta, curator of the Haibun Film Festival, and share a number of haibun in the process, including Katie's poem in the current issue of Frogpond.

Inspired by John Richard Smith's poem “Regret Tattoos,” we talk about regrets in poetry. Are there poems that we regret publishing? Should we ever regret a poem? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, including insight from behind the editor's desk Mark Danowsky of One Art. Attracta Fahy and Megan Hoffman share powerful personal accounts of their experiences speaking the truth, and we share some poems, as always.

Is every poem an act of gratitude? Are the most popular poets all poets of gratitude? There does seem to be lack of gratitude in modern culture that does as much damage as a vitamin deficiency—can poetry be the antidote? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss all of this, while sharing some unforgettable poems of thanks.

A week after the release of Rattle's NFT Poets issue, we gather together a number of the contributors to talk about their work and how the issue came to be. Guests include Gregory Betts, Pierre Gervois, Johnny Dean Mann, George Pastana, Sarah Ridgley, Justin Tagg, and Dick Westheimer in what felt like a party.

Let's talk about Katie's favorite movement: The Beats! We discuss free writing, freedom of speech, and ties to Blake, as the whole crew tries to convince Tim that Beat poems aren't too long. The space closes out with Tim's rendition of "Subterranean Homesick Blues" by Bob Dylan, at least one (maybe?) Beat he can get behind.

On the heels of the 2023 Wrightwood Poetry Slam, we talk about performance poetry, sharing some favorite slam-style poems, and exploring what we might be able to learn from the competitive poetry. Tim takes a look back at Rattle's slam issue, and Katie suggests Ginsberg's "America" might be the first slam-style poem.

This week we trip into the Jello-filled pool of humor. What makes a poem funny? Why make a poem funny? Melissa Balmain of Light Poetry Journal joins the usual gang, as Katie and Tim discuss what makes comedy tick. We read some favorite funny poems along the way.

This week, Katie, Tim, and crew talk about poems about the news, discussing the history of Rattle's Poets Respond series, news toxicity, and whether poems are an antidote or accelerant. We also share a bunch of great news poems along the way.

This week in the space, we take advantage of Katie's culinary background and borrow a metaphor from foodies. Poems are plated in the same way a gourmet dish would be. How do you make the most of the presentation? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss, sharing a variety of shapely poems and otherwise.

This week, Katie and Tim discuss another of their favorite forms: haiku! Joined by recent Touchstone Award winner Joshua Eric Williams and Haiku Society of America Book Award winner Roberta Beary and other friends, we explore the power and possibility hiding inside this short form of poetry, and share some of our favorite examples.

This week, Katie, Tim, and crew discuss National Poetry Month—is the the cruelest or the coolest? Tim plays the role of the Grinch, but can we all find common ground in the end? And of course there will be poems …

This week, Katie and Tim call in live from day 3 of the NFT.nyc Conference. Edward Carpenter and Rionna Morgan and friends join to discuss their thoughts on the conference, the historic NFT Pop-up Reading, and more.

This week, Katie, Tim, and friends discuss this season's hottest topic: artificial intelligence. What are Large Language Models, and what will they mean for the future of poetry and human creativity? Art they the best of tools or the worst of terrors? We discuss it all over green tea.

This week, Katie, Tim, and crew discuss publishing in the 21st century and Tim's recent article in Lit Mag News, "Uncurated: The Case for a New Term of Art." By not embracing modern modes of publishing, poetry itself has been working with one hand tied behind its back—but together we can fix it. Let's talk about how.

Neil Postman called metaphor an "organ of perception." Metaphors are central aspect of poetry—and all creative thinking. This week, Katie, Tim, and company discuss metaphor from every angle, and share their favorite metaphor-rich poems.

This week we talk about Katie's favorite form: the sonnet! What is it that makes this form so special? Everyone shares their favorites. 

This week, Katie, Tim, and crew talk "poetiquette"—the codes of polite behavior in the poetry and those who break them. Rude replies, unethical publishers, unsolicited advice … Which behaviors in poetry (traditional and/or NFTs) irk you?

Did you know that Edgar Allan Poe solved Olbers' Paradox and invented the Big Bang Theory 100 years ahead of time—in a poem?  In this episode, Katie and Tim discuss poetic discoveries. 

Just a few days away from Valentine’s Day, Katie and Tim take a look at love poems. 

Today being groundhog day, we’re examining any writer–or poet’s–recurring nightmare: writer’s block. 

How do you define poetry? Katie, Tim, and everyone discuss. 

This week, Katie and Tim look at which poems made an impact on us early on. Our first poetry loves! Listeners join in to share their favorites, too. 

How did you become interested in putting art on the blockchain? BYOT (bring your own tales)! Katie and Tim discuss. 

In the opening episode, Katie Dozier, Timothy Green, and crew discuss the current state of poetry in response to a recent New York Times article. Is poetry really dead? What would it mean for poetry to be alive?