VS

George Abraham is ready to return. The Palestinian-American poet and professor talks with Franny and Danez about the experience of revisiting their first book Birthright, carving a past and future for themselves in the face of colonialism and homophobia, learning to spur their readers into action, and much more. NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Evie Shockley is ready to bring us together. The poet, critic, and professor breaks down how she builds spaces to gather and exchange in her poems, the lineages she pulls from, balancing her critical and artistic lenses, and much more. Plus, some VERY important info about next season of VS! NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review

Aria Aber knows how to find the space between the buildings, the beauty in the ruins. The poet talks with Franny and Danez about her masterful book Hard Damage, sharing the fragments of her past with her family, writing toward city and landscape, and much more.  NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

The illustrious francine j. harris is in the proverbial building, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. The award-winning poet breaks down the transformative potential of being a hater, mourning the loss of anonymity at the open mic, championing the poets she’s in lineage of, and much much more. NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Cynthia Dewi Oka writes across generations, and what emerges is spectacular. The poet talks with Franny and Danez about flipping spectacle on its head as a way of subverting power, bringing both her mother and her son into the creative process, writing surreality as a young mother, and much more. This is a gem, y’all! NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Destiny O. Birdsong is happy to up to her elbows in the mess of life. The poet, essayist, and fiction writer talks about the joy of creating complex characters, writing auto-fiction, building books from a joke, and much more! NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Come dance in the unknown with Shira Erlichman! Franny and Danez talk with the brilliant poet and musician about how she’s always thrived in the mystery, what she has learned about transformation from both her mental health journey and meditation practice, first draft explosions, her study of death and dying over the course of the pandemic, and much more! NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Carmen Giménez Smith is ready to get down to the word. The poet and editor takes a deep dive with Franny and Danez into how she approaches editing, how she pushes writers to build off of the most effective parts of their poems, how she takes in feedback from her peers, and much more.  NOTE: VS is nominated for a WEBBY!!!! Vote for us here. NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Tommy Pico might not like games, but he came to play. The poet, screenwriter, and podcaster talks about adjusting to life off of the road, stepping into a role in a TV writers room, beginning to write as a social media practice, instinct vs. taste, the texture of balls on one’s taint, and so much more. Plus, a fastpunch round for the ages! NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!

Taylor Johnson is listening, and they’re inviting you to listen too. The poet, whose first collection Inheritance was released into the world last year on Alice James Books, talks with our fearless hosts about how they’re listening for the sounds, colors, words, and structures they’re encountering, what they learn when they listen, and much much more.  NOTE: Make sure you rate us on Apple Podcasts and write us a review!