Tacey M. Atsitty: Ancestors-Literal & Literary

This is the final episode in Season One. I’ll be back with Season Two on Monday, April 20th. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber of the Ask the Poet Substack (kathrynpetruccelli.substack.com). That’s where you’ll find complete show notes with images, correct poetry formatting, and regular notices of new episodes.Dr. Tacey M. Atsitty de Gonzales, Diné (Navajo), is Tsénahabiłnii (Sleep Rock People) and born for Ta’neeszahnii (Tangle People).Atsitty is a recipient of the Wisconsin Brittingham Prize for Poetry and other prizes. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in POETRY; EPOCH; Kenyon Review Online; Prairie Schooner; Leavings, and other publications. Her first book is Rain Scald (University of New Mexico Press, 2018), and her second book is (At) Wrist (University of Wisconsin Press, 2023).She has a PhD in Creative Writing from Florida State University and is Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Beloit College in Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband.This is my letter to the world,That never wrote to me,--The simple news that Nature told,With tender majesty.Her message is committedTo hands I cannot see;For love of her, sweet countrymen,Judge tenderly of me!After Emily Dickinson’s ‘Letter to the World’Tacey M. AttsityThis is my letter to the earthWho never wrote me back—Perhaps except to say: Mirth,I meant to give you backonce more & give you more than birth.You left me hollow inside, here:a cave mined of worth—more than a sinceregesture or gemstone glimmeringfrom the darkness above— I meantto be shimmeringduring your ascent—Fact check:Tacey mentions Emily’s father at Amherst College – Edward Dickinson was the treasurer of that college for nearly four decades. His father before him (Samuel Fowler Dickinson) was instrumental in founding the school and his son, Austin, Emily’s brother, took over the treasurer position follwing his father. Edward’s main profession, however, was as a lawyer (as was Austin’s).Regarding Emily or women in general attending lectures at Amherst College in the 19th century, emilydickinsonmuseum.org says, “(Amherst) Academy students were permitted to attend lectures at Amherst College, and while there is no definitive evidence that Emily Dickinson did so, it seems likely.”Concepts mentioned:caesuraDickinson going to Boston when she was ill/for eye issues – During the years 1864 & 1865, she spends a great deal of time at a boarding house where her Norcross cousins lived in the Boston area while being treated for an eye ailment that caused her to suffer pain and light sensitivity.The “scandal” that Tacey refers to in connection to Emily’s brother was a long-term affair Austin Dickinson had with the much younger Mabel Loomis Todd. Their relationship was an open secret and their meeting place was often the Homestead, where Emily and her sister, Lavinia, lived. Loomis Todd became one of Dickinson’s main editors after her death.Poetry slam – is a competitive form of poetry where someone performs on stage for up to three minutes, without props, notes, or music. Five judges sellected from the audience rate each poet Olympic-style on a scale from 1-10. The high and low scores are thrown out and the remaining three added.Quatrains – stanzas of four linesTacey’s poem “Groundwater” can be read here. (To hear me read this poem combined with a slightly extended conversation about it compared to the edited version within the full episode, go to the the separate post called “Bonus Bit: ‘Groundwater’ by Tacey M. Atsitty.”)The Diné (Navajo) creation story of the Twins / Monster Slayer. This link will take you to a subtitled video of part I of the story – when the twins are born. From there, you can find the continuing story if you’re interested (the same person has posted parts II, III, etc.) Here is a post with the story written in English, though the background on the site makes it extremely difficult to read. Maybe you can copy and paste the words to a document. I’ve avoided many sites because they refer to the story as a “myth,” which Tacey explained she doesn’t like.Writers & Works Mentioned (hopefully in order):The TranscendentalistsThe Romantic poetsShelly’s “Ozmandias” (Percy Bysshe Shelley)Lucy TapahonsoLaura ToheEsther BelinNia FranciscoJim BarnesJames WrightAlice FultonSrikanth ReddyBrigit Pegeen Kelly’s poem “Song.” The podcast I mentioned recently listening to the poem on was Breaking Form in October 2025 with James Allen Hall and Aaron Smith, who do a masterful job of discussing the poems’ themes.Layli Long SoldierNatalie DiazGeorge HerbertGerard Manley HopkinsRecorded January 2026. If you have enjoyed this first season of Melody or Witchcraft, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. There are multiple subsequent seasons in the works—I’m excited for it all. I’m also in for hours of editing in my one-woman production. Thank you for considering supporting this work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kathrynpetruccelli.substack.com/subscribe