“To Be Held” by Linda Hogan
“To Be Held” falls within the pastoral tradition of a poet wandering in nature and finding inspiration there. In it, the speaker encounters a tree in her desert landscape that then becomes a springboard for a larger reflection about humanity.
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When the Past Interferes with the Present
We fear old, buried feelings and fear their power. In this way, they are vampire-like in that the best way to defeat them is to expose them to the light.
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Emmy Noms: Sure Bets, Surprises,
and a Three-Way Snub
Despite a fairly substantial snub, women and people of color were well represented in this year's honorees.
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A Therapist’s Views on the Pandemic
Dr. Jane Moffett addresses the impact of living in this extended time of uncertainty, understanding the effects of trauma, and the importance of knowing and examining how we respond to traumatic events.
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Poems by francine j. harris
Rather than decode every reference in the poem, however, I’m eager to experience the musicality of it, to listen to the opening, and see how it squares with the poem’s first line: “The tension is in drag. the rug of hot winter rain. the droll swish tires.”
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Losing a Beloved Pet
When we lose a pet, we often feel as if we have lost our best friend, or even a part of ourselves.
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Rosamund Pike Illuminates ‘Radioactive’
'Radioactive' does a nice job of humanizing a woman whom most of us know of, but few really know about: Marie Curie the first person to win two Nobel prizes.
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“Self Portrait con Valencia” by Lupita Eyde-Tucker
“Self Portrait con Valencia” deftly charts the bilingual experience in addition to the social one, crafting a subtle metaphoric relationship between the elements of the periodic table and language.
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Understanding Addictions:
Self-Medication and Self-Harm
Of the many hazards of lack of self-love, among the most serious, is behavior that harms you.
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‘Relic’: The Demon is Dementia in this Sophisticated Horror Debut
'Relic' bridges the gap between fictional horror and the ultimate horror of real life, which is diminishment and death. There are some (very) scary moments, as well as scenes that will feel familiar to anyone who has watched a parent or grandparent age.
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Yolanda J. Franklin: “Climaxes & Joints”
In this poem, the speaker moves via stream of consciousness, shifting back and forth between various characters, memories, and histories to create an expansive sense of various kinds of “climaxes” and “joints.”
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Learn to Tune in to Your Own Signals
Learning to respect and appreciate yourself in an appropriate, measured, and compassionate way is an essential foundation of our ability to give to others.
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Netflix Documentaries: Exposing the Monsters
'Athlete A' chronicling how 'The Indianapolis Star' broke the story of doctor Larry Nassar's abuse of hundreds of athletes and 'Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich' are available to stream on Netflix.
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Claudia Rankine:
“Some years there exists a wanting to escape…”
The language of 'Citizen' is condensed and pungent, but the poem is book-length, and instead of capturing a single moment, it captures the million moments of alienation and annihilation that constitute black contemporary experience in America.
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The Arc of Progress: The Good, Bad, and Deadly
Living today under the threat of climate change, anticipating a possible self-inflicted collapse of our natural world, it does not surprise us to learn that the arc of progress has not always been good for us.
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La’Wana Harris, A Woman Making A Difference
La'Wana Harris is a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist. Her most recent book has been praised for its practical approach to recognizing unconscious bias and putting privilege and power to work for genuine inclusion and diversity.
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Crystal Williams, “Double Helix”
The poem was written in response to the convergence of multiple artistic endeavors, each of which spoke strongly to me about history—one was the 'Migration Series' exhibit at MoMA for which the poem was commissioned, and one was the book 'The Warmth of Other Suns.'
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Celebrating Independence Day in a Divided Nation
It no longer seems clear that we all agree upon what America stands for. A consensus about what it means to be a citizen and how those values are upheld is in question.
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While You Are Sleeping and Dreaming
A lot goes on when you are sleeping, much of it important work for maintaining physical and mental health.
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‘Miss Juneteenth’ — A Tale of Two
Phenomenal Women
It's Channing Godfrey Peoples's memories of Juneteenth celebrations that inspired her first feature film, the sensitive, moving, and ultimately uplifting mother-daughter story of 'Miss Juneteenth.'
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Nikky Finney:
“Instruction, Final: To Brown Poets from Black Girl with Silver Leica”
Poetry Sunday columns this month will reprise previous features of black women poets and poems that take up questions of social justice.
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How to Understand Hate
The origins of hatred and its ability to spread as if the Devil had tossed a cigarette into dried underbrush is a subject that has preoccupied psychologists, sociologists, and historians for much of the last 70 years.
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Alfre Woodard Bears Witness in ‘Clemency’
'Clemency' is a character study of a woman whose professionalism seamlessly masks her character. We see her dreams; we see her self-destructive after-hours behavior. Yet, we never see her crack on the job.
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Elizabeth Alexander: “Praise Song for the Day”
The love Elizabeth Alexander envisions is complex but possible, and the poem is a strong reminder to be clear about all of our country’s legacies—sorrows as well as triumphs—while still singing a “praise song for walking forward in that light.”
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