Gregory Orr
Gregory Orr is a poet who is known to be a master of the short, personal lyric. About Gregory, Mary Oliver wrote “He speaks now, in these many short poems, which in their entirety are really one long poem, of mysteries, of those things –emotions, situations, mind and heart states–which are beyond the definitive.”
Gregory is the author of more than 10 collections of poetry.
In this conversation we talked about lyric poetry, anxiety, surviving trauma and the power of art to save a life.
Ama Codjoe
Ama Codjoe is a poet based in New York City. She is the author of Bluest Nude and Blood of the Air. Her poems and essays have been published in many outlets and her work has twice appeared in The Best American Poetry. Her poems often engage with visual art—especially art by Black women artists.
This conversation is much about the body. On how we relate to nudity and nakedness, on being in the body as an artist and on living a fully sensual life. Ama shares about her writing process and ekphrastic poetry, and we also talk about the many ways we love outside of the mainstream definition of that word “love.”
Diana Khoi Nguyen
Diana Khoi Nguyen is a poet and multimedia artist. She is the author of the poetry collection, Ghost Of (Omnidawn Publishing, 2018) which was a finalist for the National Book Award and L.A. Times Book Prize. In this episode we talk about grief, complex emotions, silence, and breaking that silence through art.
Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Rachel Eliza Griffiths is a poet, visual artist, and novelist.
In this episode we chat about her stunning collection of poetry and photography, Seeing the Body. Some of the topics we speak on include monumental grief, memory, sadness as a superpower, taking action against despair, and pushing away the useless pressure of likability. Rachel Eliza also tells us about her many selves as an artist.
Naomi Shihab Nye
Naomi Shihab Nye is a Palestinian-American poet, Young People's Poet Laureate through the Poetry Foundation, and editor of poems for the New York Times Sunday magazine. She has written or edited more than 30 books, most recently Cast Away, The Tiny Journalist, Voices in the Air, and Everything Comes Next.
Pádraig Ó Tuama
Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet and theologian based in Ireland. He is the author of a number of books including a gorgeous memoir called In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World.
Themes of loneliness, belonging, language, and the power of storytelling are laced throughout his work, and we unpack these topics, and much more in this conversation.
Tyler Knott Gregson
Tyler Knott Gregson is a poet, bestselling author, and photographer.
I really enjoyed catching up with Tyler and talking about the importance of being authentically yourself, letting go of what other people think, and finding the “Miracle in the Mundane” - which is the title of his new book.