The Poet Salon

Friends, lovers, bilches—this episode wraps up our pandemic season of The Poet Salon, and what an episode it is! After chopping it up with Amaud Jamaul Johnson on smoke, speakers, and silences, he brought us Linda Gregg's "The Poet Goes About Her Business." If this is your first encounter with the poem, we're excited for you but also very jealous. Born and raised in Compton, California, educated at Howard University and Cornell University, AMAUD JAMAUL JOHNSON is the author of three poetry collections, Red Summer, Darktown Follies, and Imperial Liquor (Pitt Poetry Series, 2020). A former Wallace Stegner Fellow in Poetry at Stanford, MacDowell Fellow, and Cave Canem Fellow, his honors include the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, the Dorset Prize, and a Pushcart Prize. His work has appeared in Best American Poetry, American Poetry Review, The New York Times Magazine, Kenyon Review, Callaloo, Narrative Magazine, Crazyhorse, Indiana Review, The Southern Review, Harvard Review and elsewhere. His most recent collection was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2021 UNT Rilke Prize. LINDA GREGG was born in New York and raised in Marin County, California. She earned both a BA and an MA from San Francisco State University. Gregg published many several collections of poetry, including All of It Singing: New and Selected Poems (2008), a Los Angeles Times Favorite Book of 2008 and winner of the Poetry Society of America’s William Carlos Williams Award; In the Middle Distance (2006); Things and Flesh (1999), finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Award for Poetry; Chosen by the Lion (1995); Sacraments of Desire (1992); Alma (1985); and Too Bright to See (1981). Gregg’s lyrical poetry is often admired for its ability to discuss grief, desire, and longing with electrifying craftsmanship and poise. 

Good day, bilches! We're winding down this stab at a third season with our last, luminous guest, Amaud Jamaul Johnson, with whom we discuss advisorship, allusion, and arrangement. Born and raised in Compton, California, educated at Howard University and Cornell University, AMAUD JAMAUL JOHNSON is the author of three poetry collections, Red Summer, Darktown Follies, and Imperial Liquor (Pitt Poetry Series, 2020). A former Wallace Stegner Fellow in Poetry at Stanford, MacDowell Fellow, and Cave Canem Fellow, his honors include the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, the Dorset Prize, and a Pushcart Prize. His work has appeared in Best American Poetry, American Poetry Review, The New York Times Magazine, Kenyon Review, Callaloo, Narrative Magazine, Crazyhorse, Indiana Review, The Southern Review, Harvard Review and elsewhere. His most recent collection was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2021 UNT Rilke Prize. NEAT GLASS OF THE MACALLAN FINE WHISKY: The Macallan Fine & Vintage Single Malt Scotch Whisky, nothing else.

Salami lovers, soup slurpers, and salad spinners—this week Jane Wong served up the one and only Gwendolyn Brooks. In this episode, you'll hear us eat up Brooks' "when you have forgotten sunday: the love story" JANE WONG is the author of How to Not Be Afraid of Everything from Alice James Books and Overpour from Action Books. A Kunidman fellow, she is the recipient of a Pushcart prize and fellowships and residencies from the US Fulbright program, Artist Trust, 4Culture, The Fine Arts Work Center, Bread Loaf, Hedgebrook, and more. GWENDOLYN BROOKS is one of the most highly regarded, influential, and widely read poets of 20th-century American poetry. She was a much-honored poet, even in her lifetime, with the distinction of being the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize. She also was poetry consultant to the Library of Congress—the first Black woman to hold that position—and poet laureate of the State of Illinois. Many of Brooks’s works display a political consciousness, especially those from the 1960s and later, with several of her poems reflecting the civil rights activism of that period. Her body of work gave her, according to critic George E. Kent, “a unique position in American letters. Not only has she combined a strong commitment to racial identity and equality with a mastery of poetic techniques, but she has also managed to bridge the gap between the academic poets of her generation in the 1940s and the young Black militant writers of the 1960s.” (read the rest here)  

Jane Wong, author of 'How to Not Be Afraid of Everything' and 'Overpour,' brings her unique perspective to the conversation. She dives into the interplay between food and poetry, likening poetic forms to a culinary experience. Wong unpacks ancestral trauma and the role it plays in her writing, particularly related to the Great Leap Forward in China. The discussion takes a whimsical turn as they explore the 'poetics of haunting,' and the intentional use of space in poetry, inviting listeners to engage with deeper emotional narratives.

Carl Phillips reads Kobayashi Issa's haunting haiku about the death of a child. The speakers discuss the power of context in poetry and explore the tug of war between stability and unpredictability. They delve into the challenges of parenthood and reflect on gift costs, gun ownership, and moments of uncertainty. The hosts end with light banter and plans for future meetings.

Carl Phillips, acclaimed poet and Kingsley Tufts Award winner, shares his insights on the intricate balance between abstract and concrete imagery in poetry. He reflects on the duality of life's beauty and challenges while addressing generational perspectives on financial and mental health struggles. The discussion also touches on the power of poetry in shaping identity and the joy found in community through creativity, including a delightful cooking show. Personal anecdotes enhance the narrative, making art an emotional bridge in difficult times.

Tommye Blount, author of Fantasia for the Man in Blue, discusses Spencer Reece's 'Interlude' with captivating analysis and admiration for its complexity and structure. The podcast delves into the powerful ending and themes of defiance in the poem, explores Spencer Reece's work as an openly gay Episcopal priest, and highlights the absence of commas and shifting centers in 21st-century poetry. The hosts also express appreciation, give shoutouts, and encourage engagement from listeners.

Tommye Blount, an inimitable poet from Detroit, Michigan, discusses the influence of Detroit on his poetry, the journey to his first book, and the intersection of music and poetry. They also explore the subjective nature of truth in poetry and the uncomfortable dynamics that arise when he is intimate with white men as a gay black man. Blount's poetry combines celebration and anger, and each poem is a mixture of both.

Ada Limón, a Guggenheim fellow and award-winning poet, reads Wanda Coleman's 'Requiem for a Nest'. The hosts analyze the themes of delusion, ignorance, and creation in the poem, as well as the power of language in poetry. They also explore specific lines and poetic techniques used by the poet. The chapter concludes with expressions of gratitude and excitement for the upcoming season.

O hi there, it's us, The Poet Salon, back in your ears with our third season—and what a season it is!  We're kicking things off with the incomparable Ada Limón. After some quick updates from us, we discuss the virtues of poetic "play" before conversing with the one-and-only Ada about the human condition, carrying grief, and Kentucky. ADA LIMÓN, a current Guggenheim fellow, is the author of five poetry collections, including The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. Her fourth book Bright Dead Things was named a finalist for the National Book Award, a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She serves on the faculty of Queens University of Charlotte Low Residency M.F.A program and lives in Lexington, Kentucky. JANUARY GIMLET: a bright, easy-to-mix cocktail with gin, cranberry juice, and lime.