Poems and Whiskey

Make a plan to vote!--> We've got work to do! <--It comes as no real surprise that the theme of this episode, and indeed the show, is self acceptance. There are as many ways to being an artist, as there are artists. Sure, it sounds trite and maybe it is. But Okay then. Trite things also get to be helpful and true. Funny, that. Anyone who's telling you there is only one way to do the thing, is just scared they're doing it wrong too. When it comes to what moves us, we're the one's who make the rules, babies.Kimberly Wolf sits with me and while we wait for the dime to hit the bottom of the yeah yeah yeah's, we make lovely castles in the mud.Y'all should know how to find me by now.Mentions:Carl Yung : “What did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? Herein lies the key to your earthly pursuits.”Sir Arthur Conan Doyle : Mycroft Holmes: “What do we say about coincidences?” Sherlock Holmes: “The universe is rarely so lazy.”Tom Snarsky : Reclaimed WaterStardew Valley**AnimorphsTwin PeaksThomas C. Foster : How to Read Poetry Like a ProfessorSam Sax : PigVictoria Chang : ObitCarl Phillips: Scattered Snows to the NorthIlya Kaminksy : The Deaf RepublicNocturne Magazine(My first chapbook, Yellow Rose Effigy, is out now!)Good people doing good things ---> INARA Cease Fire Today, MAP, Islamic Relief for Palestine, The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's FundDemine the Ukraine, Legacy of War FoundationDoctors without Borders, UNHCR, Food Not BombsRandom Acts Natural Disaster RecoveryCheers y'all!*kind reminder, all the nifty do gooders I link to, have no idea who I am and are NOT affiliated with me. I just think they're neat.**About Harvey, Dear Listener, I married him. He hasn't started asking me for children...yet.

Register to vote!--> We've got work to do! <--In fairy tales orphaned children often must attempt a task multiple times until they get it just right to get the magic to let them go. The children must be tested though, or they won't be strong enough to actually break the spell. Which is just a long way of saying, to every time there is a season. Which is just a snotty way of saying, chill, you're fine. This is how it goes. Richard and I talk about our creations and how they earn their way through the forest of the subconscious to become what we hope them to be and we get into his book a little too!Y'all should know how to find me by now.Richard's Links: SITE TWITTER INSTAMentions:Madeleine L'EngleBeverly ClearyLloyd AlexanderJenny Offill(My first chapbook, Yellow Rose Effigy, is out now!)Good people doing good things ---> INARA Cease Fire Today, MAP, Islamic Relief for Palestine, The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's FundDemine the Ukraine, Legacy of War FoundationDoctors without Borders, UNHCR, Food Not BombsCheers y'all!*kind reminder, all the nifty do gooders I link to, have no idea who I am and are NOT affiliated with me. I just think they're neat.

Surprise! This is sorta kinda, not really, a Third Wednesday with Kurt. I recorded this KV speech from If This Isn't Nice, What Is? (penguin 3rd edition), Chapter 12: How to be Wise Boys and Girls from 1981, directly after the Geeks & Nerds for Harris rally last night. It's a little messy but I think y'all forgive me. Here's all that information I promised on how to be honorable. So get out there and do it! Register to Vote, make a plan, we got work to do!Geeks & Nerds for Harris To-DoRegister to vote!--> We've got work to do! <--Ignaz SemmelweisIf This Isn't Nice, What Is?Good people doing good things ---> INARA Cease Fire Today, MAP, Islamic Relief for Palestine, The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's FundDemine the Ukraine, Legacy of War FoundationDoctors without Borders, UNHCR, Food Not BombsCheers y'all!*kind reminder, all the nifty do gooders I link to, have no idea who I am and are NOT affiliated with me. I just think they're neat.

Register to vote!--> We've got work to do! <--Process, process, process, pro-cess. (I do hope you're getting all this down. It will be on the quiz.) Francesca and I dig into the tender, wet, smelly, underbelly of creation and poke at it until it squeals. (Which is how writing is made, children.) You have to have a special sort of courage (or dumbassery) to create anything real for yourself, much less create something real for other people. You have to be willing to puncture...you know what? This metaphor's getting too gross.Let's pivot into love, similarly tender and unctuous. When you were a kid, what did you love doing more than anything? How did you play? Where do you get to play now? Did you know you're still allowed?Francesca's Links: Insta Site Her Perfect Chap Y'all should know how to find me by now.Mentions:Paragraph PlanetDorianne LauxKim Addonizio: The Poet's CompanionDiane SuessAlice MonroeVladimir NabokovNorman MailerCharles BukowskiGabriel García MárquezLouise ErdrichYukio MishimaJack GilbertStanchion: Jeff Bogle(My first chapbook, Yellow Rose Effigy, is out now!)Good people doing good things ---> INARA Cease Fire Today, MAP, Islamic Relief for Palestine, The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's FundDemine the Ukraine, Legacy of War FoundationDoctors without Borders, UNHCR, Food Not BombsCheers y'all!*kind reminder, all the nifty do gooders I link to, have no idea who I am and are NOT affiliated with me. I just think they're neat.

**Do not be alarmed. There is a transmission from The Hiatus Zone before the show. Regularly scheduled programming will resume after the transmission.**We've got work to do!Willie Carver Jr. said it best, "I don't want anybody picking up this food and not knowing that I made it because I love them."You are loved. You belong. Poetry is community.Y'all should know how to find me by now.Names and Mentions:Anne Sexton, This is How I Want to DieGhost City ReviewSilas HouseRobert GipeCrystal WilkinsonJason O'TooleFenton JohnsonAppalachian Futures(My first chapbook, Yellow Rose Effigy, is out now!)Good people doing good things ---> INARA Cease Fire Today MAP Islamic Relief for Palestine The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's FundDemine the Ukraine Legacy of War FoundationDoctors without Borders UNHCR Food Not BombsCheers y'all!*kind reminder, all the nifty do gooders I link to, have no idea who I am and are NOT affiliated with me. I just think they're neat.

This winter, step outside and through with me, into The Hiatus Zone.👁🤚🏻🚪When I break from interviewing this winter, I still want to create something with all y'all. Enter The Hiatus Zone!What do you need to do to join? Simple! Pick horror, spec, or surrealist poetry or flash fiction you like, or that you've written, record yourself reading it (or send me the text and I'll happily read it for you) and I'll edit them together into 15 to 30 minute episodes. Clearly this is based on the Twilight Zone so use that for your base if you're unclear about themes.(I'm trusting y'all to be so cool right now lol)I make it real damn easy to find me.I'll put up your socials and the like and the shows will go out every other Wednesday as typical.If you have questions, I'm happy to help. Hit me up!I'm really looking forward to this project!Cheers y'all!

We've got work to do! You've not come unstuck in time void babies, this episode is very late. I got the 'vid over the weekend and it pushed everything back. My dear 20 -30 weirdos who listen every other Wednesday, this is for you (and for me, mostly for me if I'm being really honest, but I'm delighted and grateful you're all here!). What say you all about that Poets Stay Human sticker? I'll figure it out if you want one. Oh! I also got drink coasters made if anyone wants one. Y'all should know how to find me by now.This episode is is best summarized by the sage words of my guest, Olivier, "Chaos breeds creativity but creativity is not born in chaos, you...conceive it but you can cannot birth it in the same environment..." and in the advice bestowed upon them by, Richard Speight Jr, "It doesn't matter if it's right so long as it's written."(In that spirit, lol, my first chapbook, Yellow Rose Effigy, is out now!)Good people doing good things ---> INARA Cease Fire Today MAP Islamic Relief for Palestine The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's FundDemine the Ukraine Legacy of War FoundationDoctors without Borders UNHCRMentions worth mentioning:Rosie TuckerGreen DayEar CoffeeIf you heard me say Shpadoinkle...no you didn't ;)Have y'all noticed I fall a little bit in love with each guest? Yeah...yeah. It's a problem. lolCheers y'all!*kind reminder, all the nifty do gooders I link to, have no idea who I am and are NOT affiliated with me. I just think they're neat.

There's a short-ish ad for my winter project, The Hiatus Zone before the episode AND I have an announcement!INARA Cease Fire Today MAP Islamic Relief for Palestine The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's FundDemine the Ukraine Legacy of War FoundationDoctors without Borders UNHCRHere's your VERY OBVIOUS LINK I tackle the last two chapters from my Dell edition of Slaughter-House 5 and a tiny section that I could NOT for the source for. So if you know, please let me know too! Don't gatekeep lol.I of course own nothing and make none profit with left beef from this little venture. In fact, I lose money every month on this road to no where, so put that in your pipe and smoke it. Which I would do too, if I had anything to show for it. lolKurt Vonnegut Jr. Museum and Library The Website™️and then there's me...sorry bit of a let down after Kurt but hey...The bird is a red-winged blackbird and I snagged the call here***Third Wednesdays with Kurt pod cover is based on Carin Goldberg's stunning designs, in particular my own cover of Slaughterhouse-Five by Dell.

*There is a short-ish promo for The Hiatus Zone before the episode begins*INARA Cease Fire Today MAP Islamic Relief for Palestine The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's FundDemine the Ukraine Legacy of War FoundationDoctors without Borders UNHCRSunk cost is a vile lie. The urge to create, is inherent to humanity and you are not lost to yourself. Pam says so many good things I should just make a list and let that be the description. Here's a couple doozies for ya, "We are here to tell our stories" and "We are not here for nothing." I know, right? What a knock out! It's all about connection, babies. It's all love.Cheers y'all.Here's your VERY OBVIOUS LINK Mentions:The guy I couldn't remember at the beginning, was Raymond CarverIf you miss GISH too, Random Acts is a good place to go.Anne LamottCheryl StrayedLinda HoganShawn ColvinCurly Bear WagnerJohn LinstromVirginia WoolfMarge PiercyEmily DickinsonKahlil GibranThe Ghost and Mrs Muir (only 77 years old, r1947)Sharon OldsKrista TippettEsther PerelGhost City ReviewAnne CarsonHélène CixousKurt VonnegutCharles BaxterJulie ShoemakerLorrie MooreDenise LevertovChristopher MerrillPaul EluardPaul AusterPhillip GlassRobert MacFarlaneJohn GardnerJim WelchLouise EldritchMark ReiserKeith HaringJeanette Winterson