POETICS: Poetry Podcast

Six hundred and fifty years after his death, Petrarch is still teaching us how to navigate a hostile sea. In this rain-paired episode, Tamarah opens A.M. Juster's new translation of the Canzoniere, out this April from Liveright with an introduction by Andrew Frisardi, and finds herself unexpectedly in love with the man who invented the European love sonnet. Three things about the poems. Three surprising ways the form holds them. Three biographical facts that change every line. From Laura's name dispersed into the breeze, to the Babylon sonnets banned for two centuries, to the storm-tossed vessel of poem 189, this is a conversation about why love poetry isn't dead, and how Petrarch shows us the way home.Available Here → Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 41: Poetry That Pairs With BreadWhat do a Brooklyn bakery at dawn, the bones beneath the soil, and a political manifesto have in common? They’re all hiding inside a loaf of bread—at least when poets get their hands on it.This episode, we’re pulling three poems warm from the oven: Richard Levine’s tender portrait of a grandfather whose night shifts fed more than just his family, Margaret Atwood’s unflinching reminder that every slice carries the weight of the earth’s dead, and Pablo Neruda’s passionate demand that bread belong to everyone.Along the way, we explore why poets have always reached for food when they want to say something true—about memory, labor, mortality, and love expressed without words. Because bread is never just bread. It’s what we make when we want to say you are home.Settle in with something warm. This one’s meant to be savored. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Five poems walked into a rainstorm.One sat in a hut during a war and thought about dying. One stayed in bed and didn’t apologize. One woke up next to someone and watched the cage break open. One wandered a muddy field looking for arrowheads. And one, the oldest of the bunch, told us what we already knew: into each life, some rain must fall.This episode is for the gray days. The ones where you look out the window.🎧 Listen now. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Where Literature Meets the Cheese BoardIndulge your mind and your palate. This episode pairs timeless works from literary masters—Doyle’s mysteries, Chesterton’s wit, Hall’s bold verse—with the perfect artisanal cheese. Discover Gorgonzola, Pont l’Évêque, Port du Salut, Caprice des Dieux, and the mighty Stilton. It’s the podcast for readers who savor every bite.Subscribe and taste the classics anew. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Why does white space on the page make so many poets nervous? In this episode, we explore Amy Wright’s chapbook “Wildlife” and her poetry that trusts silence, embraces the margin, and lets the page breathe. We dig into why some poems pack every line tight while others invite readers into the open spaces. If you’ve ever wondered what a poem leaves unsaid – and why that matters – this one’s for you.“Full Snow Moon,” by Amy Wrighthttps://bainbridgeisland.press/products/wildlife“What the Living Do,” by Marie Howehttps://poets.org/poem/what-living-do Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

As autumn deepens, we explore four poets who understand that soup is never just soup. Soup is comfort, ritual, and sustenance for the soul. Join us for Pablo Neruda’s Chilean chowder, Carl Sandburg’s working-class honesty, Louis Simpson’s wartime soup, and Joy Harjo’s celebration of the kitchen table where the world begins. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Join us for an intimate hour-long conversation with poet Wally Swist about his powerful new collection, Discovering What to Say.Available Now!https://bainbridgeisland.press/products/discovering-what-to-sayWhat do we choose to say when time becomes precious and every word must count?Written over five years as his spouse, Tevis, lives with Alzheimer’s in care, Swist’s poems don’t dwell on illness but instead reveal how a life fully lived continues to discover what matters most. From intimate encounters with the natural world to tributes to literary masters like Rilke and Merwin, from childhood’s complex legacy to meditations in sacred places, this septuagenarian poet grapples with life’s essential questions.In this conversation, we explore the craft behind these profound verses, the role of nature as refuge and revelation, and how poetry helps us speak what needs speaking—especially in life’s final chapters.Discovering What to Say is available now for $19.99 athttps://bainbridgeisland.press/products/discovering-what-to-saySubscribe for more author conversations Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Join us for an intimate hour-long conversation with poet Wally Swist about his powerful new collection, Discovering What to Say.Available Now!https://bainbridgeisland.press/products/discovering-what-to-sayWhat do we choose to say when time becomes precious and every word must count?Written over five years as his spouse, Tevis, lives with Alzheimer’s in care, Swist’s poems don’t dwell on illness but instead reveal how a life fully lived continues to discover what matters most. From intimate encounters with the natural world to tributes to literary masters like Rilke and Merwin, from childhood’s complex legacy to meditations in sacred places, this septuagenarian poet grapples with life’s essential questions.In this conversation, we explore the craft behind these profound verses, the role of nature as refuge and revelation, and how poetry helps us speak what needs speaking—especially in life’s final chapters.Discovering What to Say is available now for $19.99 at https://bainbridgeisland.press/products/discovering-what-to-saySubscribe for more author conversations Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

In 1957, a bookstore owner got arrested for selling Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl'—today, that same poem is assigned reading in high school English class. The Beat poets thought they were destroying the literary establishment with their wild, spontaneous, sexually explicit poetry, but they just ended up becoming the new establishment of American rebellion. It's the most predictable revolution in literary history, and it shows us something fascinating about how genuine artistic breakthroughs actually get absorbed into the culture they were trying to shake up. And a few other things I have opinions on. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

We love to celebrate literary rebels like John Keats and Emily Dickinson, but here's the thing—when they were actually being rebellious, critics hated them. Keats got trashed for being a working-class 'cockney poet' while the aristocrats got all the praise, and Dickinson's wild punctuation and syntax? Her first editors basically sanitized all the weirdness out of it to make it 'acceptable.' Turns out we're pretty good at loving rebels—as long as we get to smooth out all the rough edges first. Sound familiar? Welcome to the dead horse we keep beating: gatekeeping. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Big thanks to David J. Rothman and Susan Delaney Spear for writing “Learning the Secrets of English Verse” so we can learn about things like Anglo-Saxon Strong-Stress Alliterative Meter, and how it loosely applies to poems we already know!Like Dickinson! (what) Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

I am cycling through the maternal worry of the Oaklahoma dust bowl with Dr. Benjamin Myers - Through a kitchen window, Lily observes her daughter drawing farms in dirt then burying them, a child's game that mirrors the agricultural devastation outside—but it's not the environmental crisis that keeps this mother awake, it's something deeper she sees forming in her little girl. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Wallace Stevens argues that poetry can no longer coast on tradition—it must construct entirely new stages and become an 'insatiable actor' speaking directly to the modern moment, finding what will suffice when old scripts no longer work. We argue for this, and against this. Join us! Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Episode [30]: "Say It" - Jameson Faber Ikejimehttps://bainbridgeisland.press/products/ikejimeWhat happens when poetry strips away pretense and simply asks us to speak? We explore "Say It" from Jameson Faber's chapbook Ikejime—a collection that transforms everyday moments into poems that "shout within" the reader.Faber's conversational, stripped-down style gardens those "little, commonplace nuggets of love and loss and growth" that define our daily lives. Join us as we unpack how "Say It" embodies the collection's mission: asking for nothing more than "a slight echo in return," yet somehow demanding everything from us as readers. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Reclaiming lost voices -In this episode, we explore a poem that weaves Greek mythology with the forgotten history of Chinese silk-making. "Persephone's Testimony" transforms the underworld myth into a meditation on cultural appropriation and lost languages.The poem traces how the materials of creation—silk, paper, ink—were once "ours" before being claimed and renamed. Through Persephone's voice, the poet asks: what must we let wither to reclaim our authentic voice? How do we spin new language from stolen heritage?Join us as we unpack the revolutionary act of learning to name ourselves. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Host Tamarah Rockwood takes listeners on an intimate journey through four powerful poems from "POETICS: water - life & death." This episode explores the profound connections between water, spirituality, and human experience through Greg Jensen's "Holy Water," Eve Epstein's "I left anyway," Dianne Knox's "He knew water," and Ruth K. Hunt's "Prayer, After Her Death." Join us as we dive deep into how these poets use water as both literal and metaphorical force—examining themes of ritual, departure, knowledge, and grief, revealing water's role in marking life's most significant transitions and sacred moments. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Exploring Identity Through PoetryIn this episode, we explore the lasting impact of adolescent othering through "Native," a powerful poem set in Antilles High School, Puerto Rico. We examine how a casual classroom moment—a teacher's joke about "restless natives"—reverberates through decades, shaping the speaker's understanding of identity and belonging.The poem captures that vulnerable teenage space where the desperate desire to fit in masks deeper wounds. We follow the speaker's journey from confused laughter to painful realization: she was the "native" being mocked, marked as other by her island blood, skin, and unruly hair.Yet the poem's power lies in its transformation. Through the authority and beauty of poetry itself, the speaker reclaims the very label that once stung, reimagining what it means to be "native." She becomes native not to a place that rejected her, but to possibility—to a future where voices like hers are celebrated, not silenced.Join us as we explore how poetry transforms disturbing adolescent experiences into profound self-discovery, turning wounds into wisdom and finding strength through the beauty of reclaimed identity. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Let’s explore the contentious literary world of postmodernist poetry.Shall we?The Sentient Flock, In Simpler and Sexier Times is a single poem in 26 sections; each section is a single sentence. It was created using ad hoc semi-collage techniques, picking up words and phrases from John Ashbery, home decorating magazines, philosophical tomes, black metal songs, fundraising pleas, or whatever thoughts drifted across my brainpan.https://bainbridgeisland.press/products/the-sentient-flock-in-simpler-and-sexier-times Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

In The Dance of the Emu, Paul Engel transforms the American pastoral landscape into a realm of living mythology, where Summer awakens as a barefoot goddess on beds of clover, Winter adorns herself in diamond moonlight, and a solitary buck navigates desire and solitude under a half-moon's glow. These luminous poems move seamlessly from intimate Sunday fishing holes to cosmic mythologies, from hay field windrows to mysterious shores where an ancient emu performs its endless dance. Engel's accessible yet enchanting voice captures both the comfort of lazy afternoons and the wild magic pulsing beneath everyday moments, creating a collection that offers refuge for anyone seeking deeper connection with nature's rhythms. Perfect for readers who love Mary Oliver's mysticism and Robert Frost's wisdom, this is poetry that transforms the familiar into the magical—proof that the most ordinary moments shimmer with extraordinary meaning when viewed through a poet's careful eye. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

The poem depicts a train ride home after a Swan Lake performance, where young ballet students in costume process their emotional response to the tragic ending. The speaker observes a crying child-dancer questioning why the Prince didn't choose the White Swan, while her pragmatic mother expresses frustration at the unexpected tears and expensive outing. The poem explores themes of innocence, disillusionment, and the cyclical nature of romantic disappointment. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

The epic poem,"Don Orfeo," by Ron Searls, opens with a sweeping geological and historical preface that establishes the ancient foundation of Florida before introducing us to Don Orfeo, a Spanish soldier exiled to St. Augustine in 1684. Carrying only his ten-stringed guitar, he meets Isabella, a young indigenous woman conscripted to work on the fort's construction. Their love story unfolds through music - his Spanish guitar and her native flute creating harmonious duets that bridge their cultural divide. They marry and build a life together until the narrative takes an ominous turn when Isabella encounters threatening tattooed Indians while gathering herbs, setting up what promises to be the tragic turn typical of the Orpheus myth. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

"Perfectionism" is a powerful, compact poem that explores the paradoxical trap of control and rigidity. Through stark imagery and a steadily narrowing structure, it reveals how the pursuit of flawless order ultimately creates fragility, culminating in an inevitable, transformative shattering.https://bainbridgeisland.press/products/a-woman-in-piecesThe poem traces the journey of perfectionism from the initial desire for control to its devastating conclusion. It begins by identifying the fundamental problem of needing control, then shows how this creates a progressively constricting world. The pivotal moment comes with the assured declaration that "life will break you," followed by the revelation that the protective armor of perfectionism doesn't simply crack but shatters into "one million tiny shards of mirror" - fragments that reflect back the broken self. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

In "Trickster," Leah Haight crafts a haunting wilderness metaphor that transforms from a tale of physical survival into a profound meditation on emotional vulnerability. Through vivid imagery of forest hideaways and animal instincts, the poem reveals the exhausting vigilance of someone evading emotional pain, only to discover that hope itself is the ultimate trickster that cannot be outrun. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Today, we are exploring in this poem a solitary figure who navigates the concrete landscape of modern urban life, where personal identity dissolves into the city's persistent rhythm. The poet creates contrasts between personal experiences and city surroundings—sins written in chalk beside riverfront walkways, childhood memories projected onto office buildings, and factory smokestacks standing silent like flags at half-mast.Through strong imagery that transforms everyday objects into something more meaningful, we see a search for connection in an isolating environment. This thoughtful reflection on alienation, memory, and possibility encourages readers to find beauty and personal meaning within the challenging urban landscape. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Join us as Ben Rockwood, co-founder of Bainbridge Island Press, shares Jorge Luis Borges' haunting poem "The Moon." In this intimate reading, Ben explores how Borges transforms our familiar celestial companion into something both ancient and new, bridging mythology, memory, and the moon's timeless presence in human imagination. Through Borges' masterful verses, we'll discover how the same moon that illuminated prehistoric nights continues to cast its spell over poets and dreamers today. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Hey poetry lovers! Elisabeth Sharp McKetta's "Hey, Coyote" asks - what if you're both the outlaw and the poet? What if language itself is contraband? And that Coyote figure... well, they might just be you. Come hang out with us and listen to me bang on my desk with my hands (thanks, microphone) for a spell while we explore this wild ride of a poem. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

If you are interested in how liminal spaces can be used in poetry through pieces of time, this is the place for you. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

If you are interested in rediscovering your wild nature, your past self, and finding a harmony between the domestic self and the coyote…we’ve got’cha covered. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we explore Adelia Ritchie's haunting poem 'Night Shroud,' a meditation on sleepless nights and lingering regret. Through imagery and rhythmic progression, Ritchie brings together insomnia, self-doubt, and emotional isolation into a powerful nocturnal reflection. Join us as we examine how she builds tension through carefully chosen metaphors culminating in that devastating final question. We'll discuss how her economic use of language amplifies the emotional impact, making each word resonate with meaning. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Join us for an exploration of Tamarah Rockwood's poem "Dear Enemy" from her 2023 collection "A, B." In this episode, we navigate the definitions, symbolism, mythology, and roles of villains. This episode goes into how poetry can help us understand what villains look like in many forms…such as a Dear Enemy. If you like talking about fairies, wolves, witches, birds, and bicycles, this is the podcast episode for you! Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Join us for an exploration of David Cazden's poem "Feral Dogs of Chernobyl" from his 2024 collection "New Stars & Constellations." In this episode, we navigate the unexpected teachers of resilience – the dogs that have made their home in an abandoned landscape. Through Cazden's lens, these survivors become a metaphor for human perseverance, showing us how to move forward through our own mistakes. We unpack how these figures, adapting and thriving in the aftermath of one of humanity's greatest errors, offer us a profound lesson in hope. This episode goes into how poetry can transform even our darkest moments into pathways toward healing and redemption. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

If you have ever read Pritchard’s poetry, you know it is just a journey of wonder, order, imagination, risk, and language. Ben Rockwood explores the luminous “The Matrix” on today’s episode that you don’t want to miss. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

If you want a deep dive into the archetype of tricksters, this is the place. I kinda get into a few tangents of tricksters, who they are, what they do, and how the poet becomes a trickster through clever wiles. I think you want to hear this, don’t you? Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

https://bainbridgeisland.press/collections/booksA, B. is an exquisite exploration of the human heart, capturing its vulnerabilities, strength, and resilience. With every turn of the page, readers are transported into a realm of profound emotions, inspiring them to embrace the beauty of the human experience and the resilience of the human spirit. Rockwood's poignant verses leave an indelible mark on the soul, reminding us of the enduring power of poetry to touch the deepest corners of our hearts and minds. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

This is Episode 8 of POETICS Podcast. Tamarah Rockwood introduces a poem from “POETICS: Coyote,” published by Bainbridge Island Press in 2024. Written by sterling poet and luminary, Josh Feit. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

This is Episode 7 of POETICS Podcast (I say it’s episode 6, but it’s episode 7!). Tamarah Rockwood explores the lens of empathy with "While he told me," by Sharon Olds from her book of poems, "Stag’s Leap.” Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

This is Episode 6 of POETICS Podcast. Tamarah Rockwood explores the lens of empathy with "Notes on Pigs," by Jenny George from her book of poems, "The Dream of Reason." Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Co-founder and host Ben Rockwood invites you on a magical journey through one of literature's most captivating poems. In this episode, Rockwood explores Jorge Borges’s poem "The Moon," breaking down its themes of loneliness and resilience. In this episode, Rockwood looks at the meaning behind one of Borges’s works, connecting it to readers today. Through discussion of Borges’s style, Rockwood guides listeners through a poem that has challenged and enchanted readers for decades. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Host Tamarah Rockwood dives into how poetry connects us across time, writing human truths through symbols and metaphors that cross cultures. In this episode, she reads her poem "Actually," using it as a lens to explore how poets preserve moments, memories, and meaning through their work. Through both ancient and modern examples, Rockwood shows how poetry serves as a bridge between past and future generations, capturing pieces of the human story that facts alone cannot tell. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Host Ben Rockwood explores Charles Bukowski's poem "Balloons," breaking down its themes of loneliness and defiance. In this first episode, Rockwood looks at the meaning behind one of Bukowski's works, connecting it to readers today. Through discussion of Bukowski's style, Rockwood guides listeners through a poem that has challenged and moved readers for decades. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe