The Poems We Made Along The Way

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Liam Bates about how we might define friendship, popular song lyrics being published in poetry anthologies, and self-consciously informal citations. Listen on to find out more about all of that.Liam Bates is a poet and researcher. He’s written two pamphlets Monomaniac and Working Animals, as well as his debut collection Human Townsperson all published by Broken Sleep Books.Books and other thingsHuman Townsperson: https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/liam-bates-human-townsperson Monomaniac: https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/liam-bates-monomaniac Working Animals: https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/liam-bates-working-animals You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-seven-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Character Building poetry film: https://videopress.com/v/qpXHT1wb Interview with Liam Bates: https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/post/interview-with-liam-bates David Graeber interviewed by Charlie Rose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVDkkOAOtV0 The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk     YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ThePoemsWeMade Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Ellora Sutton about the importance of physical space when building communities, how good poetry requires precarity, and the connection between grief and surrealism.Ellora Sutton is a poet and critic. She is the poetry reviewer for Mslexia and her debut collection Little Bitch is published by VERVE Poetry Press. Her two previous pamphlets Antonyms for Burial and Artisanal Slush were also published by VERVE.* Contact your MP to challenge changes to the EHRC: https://writetheletter.bimini.workers.dev/ *Books and other thingsLittle Bitch: https://www.vervepoetrybookshop.com/product-page/little-bitch-by-ellora-sutton antonyms for burial: https://www.vervepoetrybookshop.com/product-page/antonyms-for-burial-ellora-suttonArtisanal Slush: https://www.vervepoetrybookshop.com/product-page/artisanal-slush-ellora-sutton You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-seven-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Poet Interview: Ellora Sutton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrwTeE7qDdo A conversation between Ellora Sutton and Imogen Wade: https://poetrylondon.co.uk/on-girlhood-from-hello-kitty-to-the-virgin-mary/ Phoebe Stuckes interview Ellora mentions in the episode: https://poetrysociety.org.uk/competitions/the-geoffrey-dearmer-prize/2019-2/phoebe-stuckes-interview-im-deadly-serious-when-it-comes-to-writing/ The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk     YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ThePoemsWeMade Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Shannon Kuta Kelly about synaesthesia, how music influences poetry, and the process of embedding lizards.Shannon Kuta Kelly is a poet and musician based in Belfast. She is a fellow at the Seamus Heaney Centre and her debut collection The Tree is Missing is published by Faber and Faber.Books and other thingsThe Tree Is Missing: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571395576-the-tree-is-missing/ You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-seven-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Words That Burn podcast interview with Shannon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg8PuoEOxO4&t=97s Ecolit review of The Tree Is Missing: https://ecolitbooks.com/2026/05/04/shannon-kuta-kelly-the-tree-is-missing-book-review/Macha Press website: https://www.machapress.com/ The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk     YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ThePoemsWeMade Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Shauna M. Morgan about prose vs prose poetry, indo-jamaican identity, and accountability to community. Shauna M. Morgan is a poet, scholar, and teacher of creative writing and Africana literature at the University of Kentucky in the United States. Ground Provisions is her debut collection published by Peepal Tree Press.Books and other thingsGround Provisions: https://www.peepaltreepress.com/books/ground-provisions You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-seven-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Interview with Mosaic Magazine: https://mosaicmagazine.org/shauna-morgan-interview/Prompt to Page podcast interview: https://jesspublib.org/prompt-to-page-with-shauna-m-morgan/ Kentucky Writers Roundtable: https://soundcloud.com/radiolex/kentucky-writers-roundtable-3 The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk     YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ThePoemsWeMade Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Sasha Debevec-McKenney about British stand-up comedy Stewart Lee, taking a break from writing, and approaching drafting poems like a puzzle.Sasha Debevec-McKenney’s poems have appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books and The Yale Review. She was the 2020–2021 Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow at the University of  Wisconsin and is currently a creative writing fellow at Emory University. She was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Joy Is My Middle Name, her debut, won the 2026 Dylan Thomas Prize.Books and other thingsJoy is my Middle Name: https://fitzcarraldoeditions.com/books/joy-is-my-middle-name/ You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-seven-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Sasha’s poem I Went Out to See All The Downed Trees: https://poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/i-went-out-to-see-all-the-downed-trees/ Interview with The Rumpus: https://therumpus.net/2025/12/29/in-praise-of-confessional-poetry-and-being-known-a-conversation-with-sasha-debevec-mckenney/ Interview with Lithub: https://lithub.com/poet-sasha-debevec-mckenney-on-writing-rituals-maximalism-and-how-to-surprise-an-audience/Interview with Litro: https://www.litromagazine.com/arts-and-culture/sasha-debevec-mckenney-joy-is-my-middle-name-dylan-thomas-prize/ The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk     YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ThePoemsWeMade Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Galia Admoni about how being a secondary school teacher has impacted her as a poet, writing collaborative poetry books with previous guest Wendy Allen, and The Auto-destructive art movement.Galia Admoni is a poet, teacher and musician. She’s had numerous books published including Sad Boys Are Not My Kink published by Dunlin Press, Immediately After and then Later published by Black Cat Poetry Press, and most recently SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE PRESSED RECORD published by Strange Region. She is co-host of the Loose FM show Line Breaks alongside Anna Kibbey and Sarah O’Connor.Books and other thingsSOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE PRESSED RECORD: https://www.strangeregion.com/somebody-should-have-pressed-record  Sad Boys Are Not My Kink: https://dunlinpress.bigcartel.com/product/sad-boys-are-not-my-kink  Art Sundays (by Galia Admoni and Wendy Allen):  https://www.salopress.com/store/art-sundays-galia-admoni-wendy-allen/You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-seven-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Line Breaks Loose FM show: https://soundcloud.com/loosefm/line-breaks-w-anna-kibbey-1 The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk     YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ThePoemsWeMade Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Daljit Nagra about keeping writing as a hobby, taking creative risks, and mentors that were important for his development as a poet.Daljit Nagra is a poet, Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University, and radio presenter on the weekly Poetry Extra on Radio 4 Extra. He is the author of six books including Look We Have Coming to Dover!, British Museum, and most recently Yiewsley, all published by Faber and Faber. Books and other thingsYiewsley: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571396559-yiewsley/ indiom: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571372256-indiom/ Look We Have Coming to Dover!: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571352340-look-we-have-coming-to-dover/ British Museum: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571333745-british-museum/ You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-seven-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Poetry Extra BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06qdjcn/episodes/player The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk     YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ThePoemsWeMade Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Carl Phillips about the eroticism of line breaks, developing titles of poems, and poetry as a place to explore uncertainty.Carl Phillips is the author of seventeen books of poetry, most recently Scattered Snows, to the North (Carcanet, 2024). Then the War: And Selected Poems 2007-2020 (Carcanet, 2022) won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize. Phillips has also written three prose books, most recently My Trade Is Mystery: Seven Meditations from a Life in Writing (Yale University Press, 2022). After more than thirty years of teaching at Washington UniversityBooks and other thingsScattered Snows to the North: https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781800174337/scattered-snows-to-the-north/ Then the War And Selected Poems 2007-2020: https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781800172296/then-the-war/ Wild is the Wind: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374538248/wildisthewind/ You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-six-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way              We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:2017 Craft Talk Carl Phillips Palm Beach Poetry Festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uq7vBGN54w Pulitzer-winning poet Carl Phillips on his work and the power of poetry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_g8UcovyTI Carl Phillips talks about his work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGcHbi0iDLE The Life of a Poet: Carl Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMm0FHh7ik4 The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk     YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ThePoemsWeMade Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Shara McCallum about the ethics of art, the difference between subject and theme, and how we can use form as a way to bare content. Shara McCallum is a poet and professor at Penn State University. She has written numerous books which included The Face of Water, No Ruined Stone, and most recently Behold. All published in the UK by Peepal Tree Press.Books and other thingsBehold: https://www.peepaltreepress.com/books/behold No Ruined Stone: https://www.peepaltreepress.com/books/no-ruined-stone Madwoman: https://www.peepaltreepress.com/books/madwoman The Face of Water: New and Selected Poems: https://www.peepaltreepress.com/books/the-face-of-water You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-six-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way              We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Shara McCallum on Writing in Community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42BLvgz2PDM Shara McCallum on Her Writing Process & Finding Models: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFHDzkr5hY4 Shara McCallum reads at the 2014 Dodge Poetry Festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_5ShBVCsHc Conversations with Writers: Shara McCallum--Poetry is Not Dead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzcIdJ-ylls The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk     YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ThePoemsWeMade Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade