In reading “The ‘Change’ in Climate Change” by Jacob Shores-Argüello (Poetry, June 2023), I stiffened attentively at the following: … Because a year before,a hurricane reaved its way across this country for the first timein recorded history… The country is … Continue reading
I’ve saved this passage by Kafka translator Ross Benjamin in my notes since early February. In re-reading it I realize anew how cogently it expresses my own experience of reading poetry, never mind translating it. It ends with a compelling … Continue reading
These are the generations of mice… The phrase introduces each of three meaty stanzas in John Kinsella’s “Familiars” (Poetry, June 2023). The device, with its mock portentous sonority and homiletic repetition, has a pleasing (to this Jean-Luc Picard fan) Star-Trekkie … Continue reading
To make it clear, I don’t think there’s anything mysticalabout “ghosts” — they are an isness. There’s no secret codeor system of access, and they are there whether you wantthem to be or not. They are enjambments within your narrative.(John … Continue reading
The ditches at the edge of the field were thick with poke, which I did like, even loved. The poison root of the poke grows down deep and snaggled like a mandrake.(Kathryn Nuernberger, from “A Sense of Belonging,” Poetry, May … Continue reading
Rodney Gómez, “Mortification by Census,” Poetry, May 2023. Mortification by Census brown but which kind?no entry for oleanderno entry for ocean spume this cell by which various selves are collocatedthis cell by which various selves are evaluated to geocode the … Continue reading
This post is continued from here. Poetry, May 2023 publishes the Arabic text of Mona Kareem’s poem Lailayāt (“Nights”) along with a translation into English by Sara Elkamel. My translation follows below. 5Born between a tree’s two hands, a croneproffers … Continue reading
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The only social medium I frequent is YouTube. While eating meals I watch elephant videos, Fry and Laurie, sports brawls, blooper reels, and Tuba Skinny. There’s also a good series by a guy who farts in public. The engagement algorithm, … Continue reading
This post is continued from here. Poetry, May 2023 publishes the Arabic text of Mona Kareem’s poem Lailayāt (“Nights”) along with a translation into English by Sara Elkamel. I can’t vary in any interesting way Sara Elkamel’s excellent, close translation … Continue reading
EthicalDative 
A Compelling Rationale for Taking Up Versifying
Monet grew up in East New York in Brooklyn and started writing poetry when she was 8 because she was “fascinated by typewriters and people who would sit at typewriters,” she said. Monet fondly recalls her former college adviser: “I … Continue reading →